Anyone else order Caladans from Clayton Shaw?

Nov 2nd below 90

@owain if it is not too personal, what was your invoice number? I envy you with your delivery date! I have ordered mine on Nov 22 and my invoice is 182.

Seems like my order hit a snag. Looks like it is related to a PayPal issue. Clayton and team are asking me to dispute the transaction because they can't access the money I already paid. They then want me to reorder and will hold my place in line. Sounds a little fishy to me. Anyone else experience something like this?

I'm pumped,  I received tracking showing Wednesday eta.  

Vthokie83,  did you try that 10hz track, also what about the bass, is it opening up for you?

I ordered on 11/29/23.  Have spoken to Clayton once or twice since then and given the expectation of March 2024 delivery.  Will not be surprised if that slips into April 2024 though.

the_nick

Please share when you receive a shipping confirmation response. I ordered mine on 11/05 and was told by Clayton in February via phone that I should expect them around mid-March.

I'll keep this group posted on my updates.

Figured I would weigh in here. I also ordered on 11/1/23. Received confirmation of order on 1/21/24. No additional update as of yet. Similar to another poster I ordered the Walnut baffles. Hoping to see the speakers at some point this month.

Hey Vthokie83,

He said just to loop the 10hz track and let that play for about 100 hours. I also brought up over heating concerns which he advised that he was not at all concerned being that the speaker is so efficient. He was more about breaking in the spider by the voice coil that the part that needs to move as the woofer are so rigid right now being so new. He also said you didn’t have to play at loud volumes but look for some excursion happening with the woofer. I also tried that 10Hz on my CSS Criton 1TDX and those woofers were moving. He also brought up The user Tyson from AudioCircle saying that Tyson experienced break in on the at around the 500 hr mark on his Saphires using this method.

What I'll do is let them play that 10hz from 7 -4 then I'll play my track and listen for improvements throughout the week I have that cd from bass mekanik  that does all those sweeps and ill just put on the track to repeat. 

When I did my RF7-III upgrade, I could not tell I my situation because of what that speaker went thru going from a two way to a 2.5.  A completely different  animal, but I was shocked from that bass I heard from Ron's video,

Or try calling Clayton, 801-631-2994

Owain,

Did he mention anything specific? I found several things when I searched YouTube for 10HZ audio

Vthokie83,

I have these on order as well, Nov 2nd, I'm patiently waiting at the door.  I managed to get ahold of Clayton today (he's always busy), I asked about the break in method he circled back on playing an audio file on YouTube 10hz, he said that's the target and to let it play through the day, just enough to see woofer movement.  He said this would FastTrack the initial break-in 100 hrs, with full break in happening around 300 to 500 hrs.  

Well I will make sure to have my Depends on then. I truly am very excited, the Caladans bass continues to open a bit more each day.....and I think the Aric Audio and CODA pieces will truly be a magical grouping

@vthokie83 Keep those new Caladans playing music and experiment with positioning. When the new preamp and amp arrive I have a feeling you are going to soil your pants!

If they are anything like the Spatial Audio Labs speakers Clayton used to run, they will continue to open up for around 300 hours. Check out AudioCircle where this is discussed extensively under Spatial Audio Labs' Circle. 

Great write up. They sound promising. Wonder if they’ll continue to open up. 

Okay here you go, first listening notes from 3 days of listening to the Clayton Shaw Caladans. I am not very good at describing what I hear, so don't fry me on that.

1. I warmed the speakers up just for a couple of hours by connecting to my system in my office, and let maybe 4 CDs play through them without any listening. Moved them to my current listening space, and connected to my equipment. It was all left on for 24 hours previously to be warmed up sufficiently. I did two listening passes through each CD, over 3 days
2. I must also say that my current listening room is in no way optimal, I’d say it’s below average. My wife decided she wanted to swap the living room with the family room, and my gear now resides in the living room which has minimal treatment (curtains and wool area rug; open concept to two other rooms. I can definitely tell the negative difference in rooms, both with my existing Thiel CS2.3 and Buchardt Audio S400 MKII speakers. I am constructing a listening room, but that is a bunch of months out
3. Having never owned open baffle speakers before, I did not know what to expect. I will certainly say that they are much more workable compared to my traditional speakers, in their current room
4. Each time I sat down with the intention to listen for a few hours, the next thing I knew it was many hours later, and I had done no work for the afternoon. It eventually piled up, and had to spend a couple of days catching up. These are really fun speakers
5. Gear used: Audiolab 6000 CDT transport > Morrow Audio DIG4 digital coax cable > Denafrips Pontus II DAC > Morrow Audio MA4 XLR cables > Denafrips Hades preamp > Morrow Audio MA4 XLR cables > Denafrips Thallo amplifier (120 watts 8 ohm/220 watts 4 ohm) > Anti-Cables Level 3.1 speaker cables > Clayton Shaw Caladan speakers
6. Music used (all CD, whole album listened to): Poi Dog Pondering “Wishing Like a Mountain and Thinking Like a Sea” & “Pomegranate” – Eagles “One of These Nights” – Nirvana “MTV Unplugged” – Chris Isaak “Heart Shaped World” – Gorillaz “Demon Days” – The Talking Heads “Stop Making Sense Remastered” – Chris Stapleton “Traveler” – 10,000 Maniacs “MTV Unplugged” – Johnny Cash American IV - Supertramp “Crime of the Century” – Dire Straits “Brothers in Arms” – Memoirs of a Geisha “Soundtrack” – The Civil Wars “Barton Hollow” – Atlanta Rhythm Section “Champagne Jam” – Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”
7. Several of the albums I chose for their difficulty. Some can be bright, some can be congested (Poi Dog sometimes up to 16 musicians and vocalists on stage), some to get a variety of genres, and some because I just love the album.
8. Take my listening notes with a grain of salt, if your musical tastes vary from mine. I do not listen to classical, chamber music, opera, jazz, fusion jazz, electronical (mostly), Norah Jones (or the like), or too much country
9. Speakers about 2 feet into the room, seating position 8 feet from speakers, and speakers about 8’ between the tweeters. Speakers toed in so they were each aimed just outside of my ears, maybe 12”…..I did not try playing with positioning beyond that
10. Initial thoughts –

1. These are the best speakers I have ever owned.
2.  Bass is a little laid back, but slowly improved throughout the next few days, was never muddy…..quick, punchy, detailed, not overly deep. I’m not sure if that is just the OB design, or improper placement, or needing to break in the woofers
3. Voices are incredible, male and female. Clear, articulate, great tone and full of body, I was able to understand words in songs that I know the words to but couldn’t clearly make out otherwise. I could pick out different vocalists when they were singing at the same time. Vocals were natural and without any harshness, showed all the nuances and grit and vibrato and breath and failings (Chris Stapleton, Natalie Merchant, David Byrne, Johnny Cash), almost like a live performance, dynamic changes from soft to crescendos were effortless. Vocals kept between speakers and could place where vocalists were on the stage even with multiple vocalists, great emotion. Chris Issak’s voice was brilliant, hypnotic
4. Complicated songs and music where there were a lot of musicians and vocalists (Talking Heads, Poi Dog Pondering, Gorillaz), were rendered more like a live setting where you can place and distinguish each, articulate and detailed without being jumbled or confused
5. Some songs that can be bright and brittle with intertwined detail (Poi Dog Pondering, Supertramp, Gorillaz) were delivered much more clearly and individually and smoothly, with no sense of being overwhelmed, I could separate an electric violin from a cello from saxophone from a mandolin from bells from recorder from synth from horns while they were all being played simultaneously, multiple percussion instruments from each other, and multiple vocalists. They all had their own space and somewhat their own location
6. Imaging and soundstage and presentation – For now the soundstage is limited to the outer edges of the speakers, a little beyond……soundstage height is very good, depth is there more than my current Buchardt Audio S400 MKIIs, but at this point the soundstage is not “magical” like I’ve heard on some systems. The sound does not seem to come from the speakers, it is more presented from a stage of sound. I certainly need to play around positioning more, but for now this is where I am
7. So far so good. I am ecstatic with the speakers, I suspect there is a lot of testing with speaker placement and just getting used to open baffle. I also suspect that my current electronics, while good, are not going to really allow the Caladans to reach their full potential. My new Aric Audio Motherlode XL preamp will be here in a couple of months, and CODA S5.5 amp in a couple of weeks

abd1,

My virtual system is listed in my profile, except I do rotate cables in and out. I have an Aric Audio Motherlode XL preamp and a CODA S5.5 amp on order.....preamp arrives in about 9 weeks and the CODA will be here next week hopefully. I'll move on from the Denafrips amp and preamp at that time.

Speakers I've owned: Thiel CS 1.2s, CS 2.3s, CS 3.6s, and CS 3.7s, vintage Infinity REF Kappa 7s, and Kappa 9s, Buchardt Audio S400 MKIIs, Tannoy Autograph Mini, Proac Response D2s, 1980s Sansui that I can't remember the model.....that's probably it. Never owned an open baffle or electrostatic before.

I met Clayton at Pacific Audio Fest. He was in Spatial Audio Labs' room where they were showing off their Q6 speaker. This seems very much like a similar product although significantly less costly. I know Spatial Audio Lab has put the Q6 on pause because this product would essentially make the Q6 obsolete before it ever came to market. In any case, I thought the Q6 was a really great speaker so if this is anywhere close, it is a gonga. 

@vthokie83 

I'm curious what speakers did you have previously and what is the rest of the system? Thanks, glad you're enjoying them!

Soix,

I have been home for the last 3 of days, let them burn in for 8 hours, and started listening on Saturday. I'm about half way through my initial thoughts, and will post hopefully by tomorrow. Cliff's notes version, they are freaking awesome.....still needing for the woofers to wake up, but that's expected for 12" drivers with less than 20 hours on them.

@vthokie83  Any initial thoughts/impressions on the Caladans?

abd1,

The exposed components can be polarizing, I actually kind of like being able to see the quality of the components.....and by definition the entire back is exposed.

I don't think it came through on the pics I posted), the components are placed in routed slots and holes in the back of the baffle.....so they are recessed into the baffle a bit. 

For those of you who heard these speakers or other Clayton speakers in person,  I’m curious about the tonality and texture these speakers project. Besides having a large soundstage and deep bass, which side of neutral are they? Do they have the midrange texture one might associate with a good 2way speaker?

Back in my drinking days, had several friends with boats, spent a lot of lost time in the “play pen”

coralking, I’ll try to be honest and not “fan boy” over the Caladans

Anxiously awaiting an honest review....

Ah, didn’t know such things existed but lived in Chicago for six wonderful years so I totally get it.  My friend owned a boat he moored in Diversey harbor and complained about the short boating season — spent many days/evenings drinking beer looking out at the beautiful Chicago skyline and often never left the dock.  Hope you’re heading someplace sunny and warm!

Soix, it's indoor golf simulator leagues.....here in Chicago the golf season is shorter than most places.

Those baffles look nice. The exposed crossover components look a bit DIY, but the quality is there, and one reason the speaker is $3k and not more.

I have a pair of walnut on order. Clayton sent me a photo of an unfinished walnut baffle. I'll see if its still in my email, but nothing much to see. Looking forward to your feedback on these in a few weeks. You should leave them running while you're gone.

Indoor golf???  I didn’t know miniature golf had leagues.  Sorry — thanks for the pix. Very nice!!!  Love the natural wood look mucho.  

https://imgpile.com/i/xoTwIW
https://imgpile.com/i/xoT5MP
https://imgpile.com/i/xoTh8j
https://imgpile.com/i/xoTRA1
https://imgpile.com/i/xoTTeL
https://imgpile.com/i/xoTdCx

Sorry boys, my apologies.....I had indoor golf league tonight and I've got a 6:30AM flight. But I'll try to post pics

oh come on @vthokie83

This is not acceptable!

Listen to just one tune!

Sooooo, if ur gonna leave us hanging for a week you can leave the system playing while you’re away so they’re pretty much broken in when you get back, right?  C’mon man, this ain’t all about you ya know.  Ehem.  Seriously though, have a great vacation and very much look forward to your thoughts when you get back.  Looking forward to some pix too if you can. 

First impressions and assembly:

Assembly took about 30 minutes per speaker, and all parts were included including a wrench and torx head screwdriver. Once assembled, the speaker baffle tilts back maybe 6 to 8 degrees....but that is of course adjustable as well with the Gaia III feet. All components appear to be those hinted at on other forums or on their website, namely:

IsoAcoustics Gaia III feet, WBT Nextgen 0703 binding posts, Jupiter twisted pair lacquered cotton wiring, US Coils air coils, Jupiter copper foil and Dayton Audio capacitors, and Dayton Audio wire wound resistors.

The maple baffle slabs that I ordered my speakers in, are 1.5" thick, very attractive and blemish free. I will post images if I can get imgpile to upload correctly.

I am leaving early tomorrow morning for vacation, so unfortunately I won't be able to get any listening impressions until I get back next Tuesday.

@vthokie83  that’s great news. Hopefully my set will arrive in a few weeks. Interested to hear first impressions and your system makeup. I have 3 different amps, 3 preamps and 1 integrated to experiment with so can’t wait for the fun to begin.  Cheers!

Great news! I've been thinking about either building another set of OBs vs. just ordering from Clayton. 

@vthokie83 Congrats!  Very much look forward to any pics and listening impressions once they have some hours on them. 

Well, well, well great news, the Clayton Shaw Caladan speakers showed up this evening, serial number 00023. Double wall boxed, cleverly and well packed; delivered by UPS. Two sets of 2 stand leges, two sets of four Gaia III feet, needed screws to mount the brackets and feet. Speakers (without stands and feet) are surprisingly manageable weight wise. I'm not one for an "unpacking" video, but in the morning tomorrow I'll unwrap the speakers and get them assembled.....and put some pics up

Thanks for the update!  I placed my order on December 29th, so maybe in two more months, I will have a confirmation.  I am okay with waiting but would love to know a timeline.  This is the 1st time I have ordered something from a smaller company, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

I am taking the time to do more research around the components I will run with these.  I am wide open and hoping to start this build at a good spot.  If they were to show up today, I would start with my Schiit Ragnarok 2 and a streamer.  I had the pleasure of talking to Clayton at Capitol Audio Fest, and he noted he runs some Schiit amps at home paired with these.  They had tubes at CAF, and it sounds great.  Looking forward to deliveries and feedback from others.  

I finally got an email last week confirming they indeed have my order, I placed my order on 11/1/23....and production is based on that date. No shipping date was implied, just my order placement. I am glad to at least get a response, and looking forward to the speakers.....I do wish it had not taken 2 months, 4 emails, and 4 voicemails to get a response, but here we are. I'll post once I receive the Caladans.

@whiteknee Thanks for the info. I ordered on the 12th of November. Probably close to when you ordered your set. I will keep my fingers that we can still get delivery in February vice March but it is what it is. 

I traded emails with Clayton last week. He did not mention if any units had shipped but offered this update, “Regarding scheduling of shipments, we are running a little behind my original scheduling plans due to getting our cabinet supplier all settled. The results were worth it, as the finish quality of the baffles is well beyond what I could have expected. The first group of baffles look extremely good and well sorted and are at the level of fine furniture, so I think you will be impressed.”

He went on to describe the reusable shipping carton they have designed and the fact that some of major reviewers have requested speakers for formal reviews so was suggesting that it was good that I got in early  

My order was placed in mid-November so I’m hoping for March. 

Has anyone who ordered speakers received theirs yet? I understand the initial limited construction/assembly was beginning the week of the 18th of December.  Or has anyone received any information on the pending shipment of their speakers? 

I'm planning on ordering but might wait until I see some people get production units.

Bump??

Has anyone received the Caladans yet?

Well, if you visit his website, it pretty much tells the story:  

"In light of the response to Ron’s New Record Day YouTube video and the success at Capital Audio Fest, we are thrilled to announce the prompt initiation of production. Our order queue from November to February is currently at full capacity. Nevertheless, we are accepting new orders for March delivery, and priority will be assigned based on the order date. Your patience and unwavering support is sincerely appreciated!"

So, I'd be thinking you might have a 2 to 3 month wait period. Still not as bad as some manufacturers of tube amps, just sayin'. 

@whiteknee I placed the order for Caladan one week after you did, had great phone conversation with Mr. Shaw three days ago. Hoping and looking forward to the enjoyment of my first OB speakers in February.

I think we always take chances ordering on line, for various reasons. I heard and read a lot about Clayton, and decided it was worth a try. Positive thinking, there are always Debbie Downers trying to "save" others from disasters. Anyway, using credit card gives protection in case things going south.  I think in this case, these chances are quite slim of that. And, lets keep in mind, good things come to those who wait!

I think Clayton should start taking orders and charging credit cards AFTER he produces the First pair of Caladans for Sale to the public !.......Not just prototypes to show them off.

Nope !! My wife and I got the Marzipan LRS+, that is what my wife calls them, and we are still breaking them in, but we are really happy with them. Our first Dipoles, a little different than the Quads boxes, but really like them. Takes lots of power !! to get them to sing though.