Hi Randy, I saw your post about speakers. I have been building custom loudspeakers since 1973 and have some nice designs that would probably work well for you. Check out my ads on Agon & here is an email I just sent to someone else with a little more info on my Carbon 7 model.
Thanks, Fritz Heiler
FRITZSPEAKERS.COM
Hi- Thank you for your interest in my loudspeaker systems. Just a couple of quick questions- How big is your room & would you describe it as damped or lively? What amp (model & power rating) would you use with the speakers? How far away do you sit from the speakers? What kind of music do you mainly listen to?
I offer the The Seas model because that Magnesium cone is very light & fast & works better with ribbon tweeters. Most people that have heard them side by side, prefer my Carbon 7 model. The bass response is much lower & the carbon fiber/paper cone is much more natural sounding.
Your amp is just fine, another one of my Carbon 7 customers has the same amp. As you may or not know, Sumiko (the former Primare distubitor), paired their amps with Sonus Faber & Veneena Acoustics speakers witch also use the ScanSpeak drivers. I am a big fan of both those speaker companies & was inspired to use the Scan drivers.
The resonant frequency (FS) on this Scanspeak carbon fiber mid/bass driver is 28 Hz. This same driver is used in the $14,000 per pair Wilson WATT's, the $8-12,000 a pair Merlin VSM's, Veenea Acoustics $12,000 a pair Mahlers & the older ProAC's 2.5 & 3.8 models until they started using cheaper drivers than the ScanSpeak models. There are also many other big buck speaker companies that use these great drivers.
The Carbon 7's really do have fantastic bass response & for most music do not need a subwoofer. If you listen to large scale orchestras, organ, Techno or Rap you may want one. Most of my music only customers that own these do not use a sub.
Here's the qoute about the Carbon 7's from a guy at the Audio Karma Fest that has owned lots of gear- "The sound was big, bold, and dynamic. These were some of the only monitor speakers I have heard that really do not need a subwoofer. I am a big bass fan and the Carbon 7 monitor speakers did the job very well. This system sounded really clean without sounding sterile. When I was leaving the room on Sunday, a reviewer from one of the online magazines was asking a lot of questions and taking notes for the show report which sounded like it was going to be very positive."
Here is a link to a customer who got the show demo pair- martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9248
"I have heard MANY cones and these rival the best 2 ways I have ever heard. The mid range is the same used in the Wilsons. The (Scan) Tweeter is silky smooth. These things can sing and play. Bass is 39 hz and tight as hell. I always wanted a great 2 way monitor to sit in time to time. These are rosewood with a hand rubbed oil finish.
These can fill the room from side to side. They are amazingly deep in the stage. The bass as I said is tight and detailed..."
I'm from the old school of typing (hunt & peck method) & can give you more info over the phone much easier. No high pressure sales pitch or anything like that, I just enjoy talking to people about music & all things audio. Besides that, it usually takes a few days to ship my in-stock models (and a couple of weeks for the custom designs) giving you plenty of time to cancel any orders due to buyers remorse. Please e-mail or leave your number on my voice mail @ 310 379 8190 with a good time to call you back.
Thanks, Fritz Heiler 310 379 8190
FRITZSPEAKERS.COM
BTW- Where are you located at?
