Anyone heard Cerious Technologies speakers?

Eril:

I have a set of Cerious Ceramic Reference speakers. My entire system is wired with CT interconnects/cables (with the exception of my phono cable). I just added the new CT power cord to my Exemplar Audio 5910.

I'm a long time user of Bob Grost's speaker designs. I upgraded to the CCR from a unique set of Unity Audio PARMs. In conversation with Bob he suggested that the Cerious Too/Bass combination is actually more advanced than the original PARM system. If they are able to image as well as the PARMs and are as dynamic then that would make the new speakers one of the great bargains in audio.

The thing to keep in mind is that although CT is a new company, it's founder has a solid reputation from his time with Unity Audio. Bob always has thought outside the box and the new speakers are revolutionary, not evolutionary, designs based on technologies that were not cost effective in the past.

My apologies if I am evangelical. These speakers are cutting edge designs that are not just great value - they are great period.

Ken Golden

P.S. - I promised a review of the CCRs on Audio Asylum. It's still in the works, time permitting.

I have a pair of two's/bass on order, and should be here in 3 weeks or so. I also order a full set of interconnects and speaker cables, and just last week power cords.

After reading a small ad here on A'gon, I became emamoured with their technology, and affordable pricing (hey everything's relative)

And reading posts on Asylum (like from ken who responded above)
I decided a major system upgrade was in order.

A tidbit - it turns out Bob Grost (from Cerious) tests and voices his gear with live mic feeds from a studio because recordings aren't high quality enough to test what his products can really do!

I will have the full system in the next 3-4 weeks, and if your anywhere near Manhattan, and want to listen, email me at emailists1 at yahoo

i have ps audio statement=you think they are good but thay took 300 hours to break in and I think thwey hide the highd.. anyone tried cerious speaker cables? bi wire?

good luck with your new gear!

I would like to see (read) some updates on this thread.

Anyone else out there tried these speakers? Looks like this company has gone to great lengths to diminish cabinet resonance and use top-flight drivers and x-over designs...anyone?

i heard these speakers and their cables at the Saint Tropez in Las Vegas, January, 2006.

i brought a cdr reference disc with me to the room.

i observed a stereo system toally at the mercy of the recording.

beware, if your cds and lps are not well recorded, you hear it immediately.

I haved owned the Too/Bass for 4 months. I will paste my original thoughts after just 2 days of ownership below. Since that mini review- I have been using them with my Atma-sphere MA1's and like the results even more than the SS amp.

The biggest improvement was the recent addition of Sistrum speaker stands. The Too's on the sistrum are actually frightening - I often think the sounds from LP are actually coming from my room- i.e. maybe my girlfriend is calling me or is making noise in the next room.

I think Bob's cabinet material is the best in the business. I don't think many people ordered the Too/Bass, as people heard what he had done with his lower cost model, and bought the Reference.

My electronics and front end may change - but the Cerious speakers are here to stay. I just don't know what I could replace them with that would sound better, except for Large Soundlab 'stats, or the MBL101E, neither of which I have the room or the budget for.

My original preliminary thoughts..........

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I just wanted to post some thoughts about my new Cerious Technologies Two/Bass speaker combo before doing a formal review.
The units I got had been used as demo's and were fully broken in, so I can make some valid comments even though I just got them less than 2 days ago.

My first impression after Bob Grost set them up, was that I'd never heard bass like this before, and especially in my room.

The bass is of an instantaneous nature. It is simply unbelievably fast, distinct and with no overhang. The speed is electrostatic like (think SoundLab- one of my favorite speakers) with the depth and slam of a dynamic driver. It was a real revelation to hear every string of a stand up bass so distinctly, and bass drum notes that just started and stopped on a dime.

Later that night I would hear some piano that is truly unlike any reproduced piano I have ever heard. This speaker seems to handle percussive instruments in a very unique and real manner.

Bob mentioned his reference speaker is the original Quad ESL, which is interesting in that I used to own ESL 63's with the full Crosby mod. I loved those speakers, but due to panels breaking down and the amount of space they require, I had to sell them and go the dynamic speaker route. Now this may be a little unfair- since my electronics have changed since I used to own the quads, but I am getting a level of performance well above what the quads could ever do, and in the areas that Quads perform their best - plus of course all the areas where Quads fall short)

The bass performance in my space was always a bit wooly unless I moved my previous speakers from the long wall facing my sofa to the short wall and facing 90 degrees. With the Cerious Two/Bass combo, I don't seem to be having this issue at all, but it could be due to the fact that the Bass is down-firing and perhaps more omni directional than my previous forward firing driver towers.

Performing a knuckle wrap test on the Cerious is kind of like hitting black hole material. It's like it just sucks the energy away from your hand. It's nothing like hitting wood, MDF or composites. Clearly the cabinet material is revolutionary in it's inability to store energy.

One of the best (and interesting things) is that the presentation and timbre is not foreign sounding. It doesn't stick out in any section of the spectrum (save for the wonderfully deep and precise bass) I have always found that if a product sounds impressive in some way, it's very likely going to be a sonic signature that eventually you'll dislike.

In fact to a casual listener, they might not even notice they are hearing something out of the ordinary for high end. It really took me a few hours of listening (and I am still discovering) to really hear what these speakers are capable of. It's almost as if my ear wasn't refined enough to instantly know what they were doing right.

I recently got the new PS Audio Digital Link III, which may be contributing to this next observation. But so far it seems that even mediocre recordings are so fully fleshed out that they are enjoyable. I always find it a good attribute of a component if it is able to do this, rather than just being able to play only the best recordings. Even mp3's are enjoyable - though low res and "watery" sounding.

I have heard quite a number of systems over the years, and while many of them are resolution kings, the Cerious fits in that catagory but seems to present itself in a natural way that doesn't lead your ear to any particular attribute (other than bass as I had already mentioned)

The magic clearly seems to be in the cabinet structure (synthetic ceramic). It's a shame this technology won't become commonplace, because I truly do believe this is a major advance in loudspeaker design, and combined with some the of unbelievable driver technology that is out there, (diamond depositing ,etc)......

I'm not saying I wouldn't consider trading them for a pair of MBL 101E's (of course I couldn't even afford the amps necessary to drive the MBL's, but I do believe the Cerious has about the best bass reproduction I've ever heard. Now I really want to hear the Cerious Reference!!!

The Rest of my system----

The rest of my system consists of all Cerious cables, (speaker, RCA, XLR, and AC) I had the cables for about 8 months so I had the chance to hear what they did without the Two/Bass.

Integrated (is that a dirty/low end word?) Amp/pre amp - PS Audio GCC-100 control amp with Underwood Audio modification (copper NextGens as opposed to SIlver) and Critical Link fuses.

PS Audio Digital Link III DAC

PS Audio GCPH phono stage

Digital Transport -CD and Uncompressed Aiff - Apple Macbook via USB (really the best transport I have yet heard)

Well Tempered Classic turntable with Black Platter and Sumiko Celebration cart.

PS Audio Powerplant P500 and 5 Noise Harvesters.

My previous speakers were the Source Technologies 106 - they use the Scanspeak 8545 woofer and Revelator family tweeter- the 9500 I think. Not well know but very revealing and musical.