Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Matt,

My pleasure. I see that you do look into everything and that is satisfying to me, as you give a fast and honest assessment against your wants and needs.

Good fun and we all get to see and mull over new discoveries.

TBG - what other speakers were on your short list before jumping on the BMC wagon?

I see Matt. That's too bad. The MM line is nice, and they are not gurly mon speakers as I think Mike is implying here:

08-03-15: Mikelavigne
Matt,

.... the MM3's are 'big-boy' speakers and a hard act to follow.

i owned Kharma Exquisite Reference 1D's for 3 years, then had other Kharma's. they very much remind me of the Martin Coltrane. i also owned Marten Dukes. then eventually i ended up with the EA MM3's for 5 years. i can see where those speakers do come close to the MM3's in some ways, but are not quite capable of the whole picture. they have that transparent and refined ceramic mid-range, and that 'Kharma' coherence. but they don't quite get the total weight and tone in the mid range of the MM3's since they don't quite have the heft in the bottom end.

I have had near field setups in smaller rooms in the past, and while they work, its not completely satisfying irregardless of the speaker.

Thanks Erik. I heard JBL's at Newport. Interesting. I'll look for a local dealer.

Agear - 15'x18.5'x9'

The MM3 did not, in fact, overload the room at all. They are sealed, powered woofers. The restriction was placement only. When I dialed them in they were stunning. I just didn't like the 6'x6'x6' triangle that worked best with my short room. The 15' width is not the issue, it's the 18.5' length.

I need to find time to get to the Ra to get a feel. I am trying to get my ears on the Joseph Pearl 3 and the Avalons as well. I found the speakers, I just need the time to get to them to hear them.

Wisnon - thanks for the list of eclectics. I research and look into every one of them.

In the 6moons shot you see a chair. There is the first row of 3 plus some walking space behind, so the room is quite deep. Bear that in mind, as it was not a small room, more medium sized.

I will see if I can find a shot of the Warsaw room, where there was no overload.

Sarcophogal looks, so does not solve YOUR WAF problem GearD. Matt wants bass banging potential and these can deliver and perhaps too much!

I am starting to think that the Rowen A20/A12 or S10 would likely be perfect for him. The 5 octave LMT has Heil like speed and finesse and the dispersion pattern of the bipolar config would make placement easy. NO Bass reflex allowed! Unfortunately, not sold outside CH unless he could convince them to do a direct sale, but of course no support locally. Prices at dynavox.ch

Rowen amps are sweet. The top power amps will deliver 4K wpc into 0.5 ohms and they use negative output impedance to compensate for line loss and X-over loss. Unbreakable.

Fun thread Matt, let's have some of your well reasoned out comments. I am having fun throwing things at you and seeing of anything will stick. LoL

08-05-15: Wisnon
Gear, size wise was about the same as the Zurich room. See my link to 6moons.

Better room treatment in Newport though, with curtains, etc. Zurich was more exposed wall, etc.

I saw the link. They used Viva DHT amps and not Rowland in Newport. Matt has a dedicated 9' x 14.5' x 9' room +/- treatments, so he should be fine IMO.

Matt, did the MM3s overload your room or was it more of the setup limitations?

Gear, size wise was about the same as the Zurich room. See my link to 6moons.

Better room treatment in Newport though, with curtains, etc. Zurich was more exposed wall, etc.

Matt, what are your room dimensions again?

No email Norman.

The Isis was used at a Newport show in a 14x17x8 room with great results:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Isis+trenner+newport&biw=1440&bih=811&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMI9qLP4oqSxwIVijweCh3yCgCn&dpr=1#imgrc=n-BvqjoEGs_RgM%3A

08-04-15: Mattnshilp

But I will admit I had a Mustang GT in high school with four 10" subwoofers. Oh yeah baby! I worked in a car stereo store back them and did a killer install. It's always been in my blood.

From 2000-2006, I owned an E34 M5. I had some car audio jocks drop in an Eclispe deck, Audiocontrol 3.1 over/equalizer, PPI amps, a Kicker sub, and top of the line Focal speakers. It was killer. I did more "dedicated" listening in my car and honestly enjoyed it more than my audiophile rig at the time (BelCanto 1.1>>Audible Illusions L1>>Belles 150A Hot Rod>>Cardas GR wires>>Merlin VSM MMs).

Rowen speakers here...interesting read if nothing else. Bipolar radiators.

The s10 and all the "A" range up to the topline a20 have the 5 octave LMT driver (unique tech):
http://rowen.ch/en/data/rowen_a20.php

ROWEN Symphony loudspeakers

http://rowen.ch/en/ls_symphony.php

The optimal integration of a loudspeaker into the living room landscape not only requests particularly high demands at its aesthetics, it raises fundamental audio spatial problems with room acoustic issue, which we cope through the full Bipolar technology. With the ROWEN Symphony line we succeeded in getting substantially closer to a concert-like rendition of music under living room conditions. With this circularly radiating sound columns ambiance and performance stage appear so authentically that the atmosphere of the concert hall becomes experience in your living room.


Boxes simply equipped with loudspeakers at the front only partly consider the acoustic conditions in the living room. They act only within the basic tone range as circular emitters. Reflections at walls, ceilings or floors cause overvaluation of the basic tone portions in terms of energy. The frequency linearity for direct sound and ambient three-dimensional sound are therefore not congruent. This problem is taken in account with our Symphony line with the so-called full Bipolar principle. The entire Frequency spectrum is rendered evenly to front and back, giving these loudspeakers circular radiation characteristics.

We are convinced that additional effort of the doubled equipment with high and mid tone is inevitable, if highest standards are to be met at the rendition of sound. With the full Bipolar the frequency linearity of the Direct sound and the ambient three-dimensional sound is almost congruent. This results in open and clearly transparent sound characteristics with fine, natural brilliance and warmth of music rendition. The models of the Symphony Series play each kind of music with large implicitness. Listening to music at home gets a new dimension – the one of a concert hall.

With the Symphony loudspeakers (excepting S2) the belated extension to the ROWEN Bi-Active-technology is possible. The increase of dynamics and detail fidelity delivers musicality and the character of a live performance even more clearly. With an increasing listening experience and the requirements grown accordingly you can let the ROWEN Loudspeakers gradually grow along.

Matt, 2 more names for you...

Backes & Muller (german)
and Ypsilon Phaeton (greek and superb sounding).

Ypsilon here: http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/highendsuisse2014/1.html

and the money shot on the ISIS room in Zurich here:
http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/highendsuisse2014/2.html

Unkind writeup from Srajan here (about the looks):
Playing to the dichotomy of fugly but great sound, Audio Sphere's Enzo Nolli, Swiss importer for Jeff Rowland, had set up a vinyl-fronted rig ending in Trenner & Friedl's Isis. Except for lacking handles and hinges to open in the front, those struck Ivette and I as two fat refrigerators which the Austrian makers clearly expect will set up shop in domestic living rooms. Oy. Whilst dimensioned according to golden ratio proportions from multiplex Birch Ply, these 120 x 50 x 35cm 3-way sarcophagi with horn-loaded compression tweeter would never be allowed in our digs. Which actually is too bad. This room made our second-favorite sound. To produce this type of sock'em slam and density absolutely requires a big woofer. At 15 inches per side, the Isis complied. "Raise the Pharaoh" in a nod to The Mummy would be a suitable alternate to the old "Rock the Casbah" motto.

OK Matt,

I am just putting them out there for you. It seems the Rowen speakers would work well for you, but unfortunately they ONLY sell in Switzerland. They are built to be placed anywhere in real homes and bass response is tamed as the Swiss mostly build with concrete and the owner HATES bass reflex design.

If I think of other suggestions, i will let you know.

Gear, i sent a HUGE file with like 6 pictures...Mmmh, i will check and try again. i found 3 with the ISIS room. i will also see if 6Moons took any...

Matt .. You should listen to the JBL Everest DD67000.. I think it's exactly what you're looking for

Agear - for your information i don't have an El Camino. I have a Camaro! Lol.

Actually, I have a Porsche and a Jeep.

But I will admit I had a Mustang GT in high school with four 10" subwoofers. Oh yeah baby! I worked in a car stereo store back them and did a killer install. It's always been in my blood.

For the record, when we make recommendations to Matt as regards to speakers, we all need to remember his natural habitat and vernacular. When he says "bass," what he really means is something that will rattle the side panels of his El Calmino while cruising down the turnpike juiced up on malt liquor....

08-04-15: Wisnon
T&F certainly has made even more pro measuremnts and put in on their website. I am sure all these speakers roll in the 20s but the SPL trails off dramatically, and hence the -6db at 40hz!

I have heard the RA, Pkharoah and Isis at shows and can tell you the bass otput of the Ra is really full range and clobbers the others.

Got my email yet?

For sure. I emailed Andreas about it as well, and he made similar statements to those that Bob made....

No email yet?

Lumenwhite are rear ported, unfortunately.

I will try to get to the Ra as soon as possible. He is not available until early September. I will hear the Avalon and Joseph Pearl 3 by then....

Also trying to hear a Salk SS8 or 10 as soon as I can.

T&F certainly has made even more pro measuremnts and put in on their website. I am sure all these speakers roll in the 20s but the SPL trails off dramatically, and hence the -6db at 40hz!

I have heard the RA, Pkharoah and Isis at shows and can tell you the bass otput of the Ra is really full range and clobbers the others.

Got my email yet?

Norman, specs are deceptive. Some panels (Audio Analysis) have bass extension into the 20s but it is perceived as thin due to the physics involved. The same holds true to the Ra apparently. Bob Clarke has measured into bass output into the 20s. Proof is in the pudding I guess....

Gear, I have your email addy, so I can send you some pictures of the Zurich room with Isis to get an idea. I can also send pictures of the Fischer& Fisscher Granite sopeaker and the Rowen with the LMT tweeter.

Matt, sorry buddy, but you didnt send you contact details and you cant post any pix here. IF AGear has it he can Fwd.

T&F are great speaker builders, but I see the RA is indeed listed at 40hz , f-6db. The Isis is 28. Perhaps as Gear says it could be the room setup. The ISIS loaded the good sized mini-conference room at Zurich show and Andreas was not there and asked me what I thought. When I told him, he seemed genuinely disappointed, so it could have been a setup issue indeed. Andreas is a straight shooter who I trust.

Golden ratio.

08-03-15: Mattnshilp

I spoke with the T&F dealer. He insists the Isis are too big for my room and the Ra would do me just fine. He says they go down to 25hz without an issue but the web site says 40hz. He seams to think the Ra are the greatest things since sliced bread. I need to look into the Ra more to see how low they go.....

I have heard the Aerial 20 and I thought it was a tad bright. They are coming out with a new 12 or 13T (don't remember which # is it) and it may be bottom ported and it will use a soft some tweeter. About 9-12 months out. I own a pair of 10T's and I love them. They live in my Family Room and I will never given them up.

I just need to decide if a 2.5 hour drive is worth it to get my ears on the Ra and BMC speakers.....

Bob told me they have used the Isis speakers in smallish hotels rooms? I think it may be setup dependent. I am interested in the Ra as well and was actually going to fly down to TX to hear them (Bob has the entire lineup at his home). My MO was finding a speaker for a standard living space. The wife wants to move in the next year or so, and I need a speaker that can be easily used in a normal living room (crammed against a back wall) with small creatures running about. She HATES my current granite monoliths (which are superb speakers but look like sepulchers). I asked about the bass on the Ra as well, and although they measure to 40 Bob claims they spit stuff out in the 20s due to their horn loading. I also like the idea of a high efficiency, wide baffle design with directivity that "limits" the room. I have Viva amps and they often mate those two at shows.

I like Aerial. They are one of the few companies that is able to make ribbons sound tonally correct. Great speakers but I have only heard older models.

I have always liked High Water's rooms at shows. The Cessaro horns are nice as are the Horning stuff....

Even better the White lights

premieres
the "white light anniversary" reference monitor loudspeakers at the munich high-end
show 2015 celebrating 15 years of innovation in high end audio design.

introduced in 2000, lumen white`s original "white light" reference monitors became instant legends, rated "best in class" (audio art, taiwan), "one of the best audio components of all times" (stereo sound, japan), an "ultimate, absolute reference in every category" (fedeltà del suono, italy), and as offering "sonic realism which may prove impossible to surpass" (hörerlebnis, germany).

the "white light" reference monitors featured the world`s first all-ceramic driver array, radically advanced pressure- and flow-dynamics optimized, air-damped, instrumentgrade tone-wood cabinets, purist crossover design and further advancements of the art.

5 years in the making, the latest iteration of flow- and pressure-dynamics modelling, a completely new, custom designed driver array and continuous advancements of our signatory loudspeaker technologies have prepared the stage for lumen white to introduce a new generation of our reference monitor speaker designs, the new technology plattform to be premiered in a special "anniversary" model of the iconic "white light" monitors format.

the "white light anniversary" reference monitors premiered in a mythical white macassar finish at the high end 2015 show in munich, together with the latest generation of lumen white`s acclaimed, limited edition "mystere" air bearing turntable system.

http://lumenwhite.com/news_uk.html

Matt since you are willing to shell out some, why not these:

http://lumenwhite.com/silverflame_d_uk.html

I know the designer and he is verrrry talented (brilliant, actually)and is a pioneer. A real perfectionist.

Full range! 20-35K
time coherent, phase coherent, resonance coherent

Pretty efficient too and I knw they have won several best in shows.

Hi Mike.

I'm sort of honored you are posting. I feel like we've hit the big time if we caught your attention with this thread. Lol. I have to admit I have been following your build since you had the Kharmas in your room, years ago. You are the reason I needed to hear the MM3's and that I was willing to actually buy a pair just to hear them since there was no other realistic way to hear them.

That said, I was not disappointed with their performance and they do everything I wanted. But the size of the speakers and my room size limited my ability to place them properly to get the most out of them. Jon Tinn was amazingly helpful and a true gentlemen; he really helped me and went the extra mile to guide me in placing the speakers properly. In the end, my room ended up requiring their placement in a nearfield setup that sounded absolutely stunning. But I felt like they were headphones considering their size and my proximity to these huge towers.

If I had been able to pull them further off the front wall I would have had way more flexibility in their placement.

So if someone wants a stupid deal on a pair of MM3's let me know.

I heard the granite speaker twice in two different rooms. Didn't do it for me.

I spoke with the T&F dealer. He insists the Isis are too big for my room and the Ra would do me just fine. He says they go down to 25hz without an issue but the web site says 40hz. He seams to think the Ra are the greatest things since sliced bread. I need to look into the Ra more to see how low they go.....

I'm going to try to hear the Nola Metro Grand Reference (which is rear ported unless I look at the only sealed enclosure model which is, I think, too big for my room and almost $75k). But worth listening.

I'm also going to take a ride to Philly to hear the Joseph Pearl 3.

I have heard the Aerial 20 and I thought it was a tad bright. They are coming out with a new 12 or 13T (don't remember which # is it) and it may be bottom ported and it will use a soft some tweeter. About 9-12 months out. I own a pair of 10T's and I love them. They live in my Family Room and I will never given them up.

I just need to decide if a 2.5 hour drive is worth it to get my ears on the Ra and BMC speakers.....

Mike, I think Matt liked the MM3s but they overloaded his room.....

Matt,

i find your speaker quest very interesting;

I definitely am drawn to a truly full range speaker with deep extension, accurate reproduction leaning towards the forceful side; with a sense of impact and scale that some speakers sacrifice to reproduce the lower frequencies with more accuracy and a sense of finesse. I almost see it as live vs studio... Live is scale, impact and dynamic while the studio recording is more accurate with finesse and the gentle skilled hand of a studio engineer to properly reproduce every nuance.

I also definitely like my speakers with a sense of midrange texture that some may consider colored. Not overly warm or truly colored, but the harmonics that the low midrange creates that are emotion and soul. The speakers that reproduce the source with accuracy and finesse are, to me, frequently lacking texture, complexity and that sense of engaging emotional involvement that is the reason I love this hobby.

it is interesting because the things you seek are attributes of the speakers you just got rid of, the EA MM3's. it's hard to settle for less than we already had. not to say that there was not legit reasons to switch, no speaker or speaker-room relationship is perfect. but the MM3's are 'big-boy' speakers and a hard act to follow.

i owned Kharma Exquisite Reference 1D's for 3 years, then had other Kharma's. they very much remind me of the Martin Coltrane. i also owned Marten Dukes. then eventually i ended up with the EA MM3's for 5 years. i can see where those speakers do come close to the MM3's in some ways, but are not quite capable of the whole picture. they have that transparent and refined ceramic mid-range, and that 'Kharma' coherence. but they don't quite get the total weight and tone in the mid range of the MM3's since they don't quite have the heft in the bottom end.

it will be fun to see what you end up with. good luck on your quest. i can relate to your reasoning's.

The ISIS are big and really load the room.

Fischer und Fischer Granite speakers are another one to consider, but not sure if even LauferTecknic carries them.

Matt, have you auditioned the Aerial Acoustics T20 V2?
I know They have been recently discontinued but a friend of mine just picked up one of the last pairs and they sound much better to me than all his speakers before.
For me, the only speakers I have heard that could be mistaken for live music on some recordings.

Ha! I knew it.

I share your sonic bias. Live but organic. I have heard a lot of stellar systems and reproduction, but I get bored as the auditory illusion is weak (sounds like a stereo).

One tricky thing is amp/speaker synergy. I have struggled with that part as much as anything. If your speakers are see through transducers, amp changes are glaring.

I have weaknesses for a lot of different types of speakers, and I am single driver fan. The best midrange I have heard out of a speaker in a show setting was from the Voxativ Impeggios (hooked up to a vintage Lector tubed CDP and 2W DHT mono blocks) at the 2011 Axpona in Atlanta. It was beautiful. Of course, when we popped in Jazz Party from Duke Ellington, it fell apart.

Voxativ now has a newer speaker with a dipole sub: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/voxativ/1.html

Steve Hoffman owns the first pair in the US whatever that's worth....

The Trenner still has my personal interest. It may be worth at least hearing the Ra to get a taste of their house sound. "Supposedly" live and dynamic sounding. The Isis is still probably the right model given your Jersey roots. They just need to choose a better name....

Lol. Yes. I want to be that guy. But with a good stereo, a more comfortable chair, a margarita in my hand and a beautiful women on my lap.

Go Joisey!

;)

08-02-15: Mattnshilp

I definitely am drawn to a truly full range speaker with deep extension, accurate reproduction leaning towards the forceful side; with a sense of impact and scale that some speakers sacrifice to reproduce the lower frequencies with more accuracy and a sense of finesse. I almost see it as live vs studio... Live is scale, impact and dynamic while the studio recording is more accurate with finesse and the gentle skilled hand of a studio engineer to properly reproduce every nuance.

In other words, you want to be this guy: https://iconicphotos.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/images_maninchair.jpg?w=700&h=297

Is that a Jersey thing?

To my ears and on my system the lavry gold was the most emotional / musical dac compared to all the others I heard at the time that I bought my dac 2 years ago. sorry delayed response but I don't usually post much ..

Matt, if you do get a chance to listen, make sure its a newer one with the floor Bassplate "Bodenplatten".

I see you are a basshound! LoL

Good thread and I agree with Gear that the segue into other audio areas is well appreciated.

"I promise this thread will end up back on the DAC track when the speaker decision has been finalized."

Shouldn't this be done in the speaker forum??

Cheers george

Agear - yes I did. I drove the 1.2miles from my house to Brett's and listened to the Behold and to the Ascendo. The Behold was not for me. Very accurate and hiFi sounding to my ears. And it requires a whole Behold system. The Ascendo was actually very good. It didn't have the low end punch I am looking for though. I'm not sure if their higher end speakers would offer that. But he didn't have any others in display.

I definitely am drawn to a truly full range speaker with deep extension, accurate reproduction leaning towards the forceful side; with a sense of impact and scale that some speakers sacrifice to reproduce the lower frequencies with more accuracy and a sense of finesse. I almost see it as live vs studio... Live is scale, impact and dynamic while the studio recording is more accurate with finesse and the gentle skilled hand of a studio engineer to properly reproduce every nuance.

I also definitely like my speakers with a sense of midrange texture that some may consider colored. Not overly warm or truly colored, but the harmonics that the low midrange creates that are emotion and soul. The speakers that reproduce the source with accuracy and finesse are, to me, frequently lacking texture, complexity and that sense of engaging emotional involvement that is the reason I love this hobby.

Don't get me wrong. I expect my SYSTEM to be accurate and offer finesse and subtly in its reproduction, but I expect to accentuate those characteristics with my DAC/electronics and cables.

To me, thus far in my system, the Coltane Tenor has come the closest to doing that perfectly.

08-02-15: Mattnshilp
I want to thank all for getting into my speaker search. I'm sorry I sidetracked the thread but its been a fun sidetrack and you guys have given me great suggestions! I promise this thread will end up back on the DAC track when the speaker decision has been finalized.

Matt, the bunny trails into speakers and room are welcome and honesty far more interesting than the petty and one dimensional tribalism that dac discussions generate. They are also far more important final arbiters of sound....:)

Mattnshilp, where do you live. I have a pair of the BMC Arcadia speakers and would be happy to demonstrate them after Sept, 15th. I live in College Station, TX.

Avantgarde - Duo Grosso (I know, a horn in a small room. But I have spoken to many people who think they would fit perfectly in my room and I have always enjoyed the way they sound; albeit a bit romantic. I'm also not in love with the fact that they are powered subs and that I would probably benefit from a tubed amp instead of my uber solid state amp that I love so much).

Matt, an additional point to keep in mind, certainly with respect to the Avantgarde speakers and perhaps with some of the others that may have particularly high efficiency, is that the high power capability and high sensitivity provided by your Burmester amps would probably result in your using the volume control on the preamp very close to the bottom of its range. Which depending on the design of the preamp may have a number of adverse consequences.

Best regards,
-- Al

Hi all. First off, I have the Bricasti M1 in the house and have been listening for a few days. I am holding opinions for a bit so I can provide a solid report.

I want to thank all for getting into my speaker search. I'm sorry I sidetracked the thread but its been a fun sidetrack and you guys have given me great suggestions! I promise this thread will end up back on the DAC track when the speaker decision has been finalized.

Here is a list of my current possibilities, almost all of which I have not heard. Obviously the Marten Coltrane Tenor is currently my front runner. But since it is a whopping $80K retail I am hoping to find a slightly (or significantly) less expensive option to consider; although if the Tenor ends up being the one that just does it for me then the Tenor it will be. I will not list the speakers I have already removed from my list…

Marten Coltrane Tenor (or even the Coltrane 3 if the opportunity arises)
Avalon Time or Isis
Joseph Audio Pearl 3 (I just put this on the list at your suggestion but I need to confirm it is not rear ported)
Perfect8 - The Point (I know I love these but they are a super whopping $100K)
Soulsonic - Holograph (Intriguing but very eclectic and VERY expensive)
Alkemia Vero - Italian omnidirectional (also intriguing but very expensive and eclectic)
Vandy 7 - Admittedly has not done it for me when I have heard them before. But at your insistence I am giving them their full chance to catch my heart.
Avantgarde - Duo Grosso (I know, a horn in a small room. But I have spoken to many people who think they would fit perfectly in my room and I have always enjoyed the way they sound; albeit a bit romantic. I'm also not in love with the fact that they are powered subs and that I would probably benefit from a tubed amp instead of my uber solid state amp that I love so much). But its on the list
Trenner & Friedl - Isis (A solid choice but hard to find. I'm doing my best to get my ears on a pair)
BMC - Arcadia (Also a solid choice but not easy to get my ears on a pair. I'm trying though)
Nola - Baby Grand Reference Gold (I need to confirm, but i recently realized that these are not rear ported and are certainly worth consideration if they work for my room)
Ascendo - Heard them recently and they are very good. low on my list but thinking about them….
Salk - Soundscape 10 (a solidly designed speaker for a reasonable price. I need to hear them to see how good they are. I am having a hard time believing that the Salk or the Vapor Joule would really compete with some of the much more expensive speakers I am considering)
Vapor Audio - Joule black or white (I'm thinking white) - A few threads really threw a monkey wrench into their public opinion but I'm not sure what to believe. They use similar drivers and design to the Salk and my same concern exists. I'm trying to hear a pair.
YG - I have heard them several times and although they have many strengths, I don't think they are for me.

I think thats it right now, although I may have forgotten one. I know Wisnon keeps suggesting the Heil speaker and I will try to hear a pair. But I don't think it will compare with some of the better speakers I am considering, especially in the low frequency extension which is really important to me.

Thank you Al and Bill for the technical explanation... When I heard Joseph speakers at RMAF 2013, they definitely pleased me without reservations.... I enjoyed the suite so much that I returned to it a few timesfor more good music ... Which is not a particularly common outcome for me *grins!*

G.

Al is correct as usual! While Joseph Audio speakers do not actually use the original 'infinite slope' crossover design that they use to, they still incorporate a very steep slope crossover filter design which sounds even better. As such the crossover prevents frequencies in the breakup regions of the drivers from being excited. So they benefit from the speed and articulation of the drivers used while avoiding their potential shortcomings. The Pearls are a true full range design that have a seamless presentation with superb imaging. Most people are shocked at how good they are when they first hear them.

Guido, I think he's saying that the "infinite slope" crossovers prevent the metal cones from being exposed to frequencies they can't handle without breakup and/or ringing. While a more conventional lower order crossover would provide a much lesser degree of filtering of frequencies that are outside of the range the drivers can handle in an optimal manner.

I have no specific knowledge of Joseph speakers, but that is how I would interpret the statement.

Best regards,
-- Al

hi paul, Joseph are very fine speakers... Heard them several times.... Last driven by the Rowland M825, and the result was exceptionally involving.

please explain... "problem with outside their passband"

Regards, G.

So right. No more Absolute top their DAC thread, lol. Full system search.

Matt has crafted and maintained a very interesting thread.

It is an entire circle in and of itself.

Pearl is another good speaker. Matt, did you ever sniff out the Behold stuff? Interesting design concepts....

Despite the obvious psychiatric issues I referenced earlier, Matt should be congratulated for his zeal and opening up his cyber lab allowing us losers to feed our voyeuristic tendencies....