I would also like to add how much I appreciated Andrew Jones' representation of the Mo-Fi speaker at Capital Audiofest. He does a terrific job of explaining the design, including engineering challenges and the compromises that are made in implementing the particular design. He has been my favorite representative from when I first heard him at CES talking about TAD speakers about 20 years ago.
It is a small wonder how he manages to keep his very friendly and engaging demeanor over the entirety of a long show. He is an extraordinary trooper.
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@panzrwagn
Don't forget what Kloss did for Acoustic Research
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@larryi
I would also like to add how much I appreciated Andrew Jones' representation of the Mo-Fi speaker at Capital Audiofest. He does a terrific job of explaining the design, including engineering challenges and the compromises that are made in implementing the particular design. He has been my favorite representative from when I first heard him at CES talking about TAD speakers about 20 years ago.
It is a small wonder how he manages to keep his very friendly and engaging demeanor over the entirety of a long show. He is an extraordinary trooper.
i agree
andrew jones is a rare commodity in this industry, technically excellent, talented and imaginative in design, and also very articulate, charming, likeable as a person and spokesman
it is very easy to listen to him speak, stay engaged, and not be turned off by a sense ego mania or hype ....
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Did Andrew play "Volver" by Buika and David Roth's "Before I Die" in these demos? That is what he played at AXPONA years ago, to very well capture the crowd.
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No intention to rain on the enthusiasm, but I thought the sound at CAF was a bit splashy here and there. Too many unknowns to attribute definitely to the speakers, and it probably wouldn’t bother many even if it is the speakers. But I think it fair to say that there are alternatives at the same price point with competing virtues.
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@soix - I thought the same thing when I was watching Steve's video! Upgrade that streamer!
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from past videos, Steve, at best, hates streaming...
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I thought the sound at CAF was a bit splashy here and there. Too many unknowns to attribute definitely to the speakers, and it probably wouldn’t bother many even if it is the speakers.
The room was pretty small and crammed. Would only fit 6-7 people seated at one-time. Not sure why that choice.
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I heard the new speaker at CAF. Bass was tight and punchy. I did think the highs could sometimes be a bit much. I don't want to say bright but some of what I heard edged into that territory. Perhaps it was the recording or the associated equipment. I did hear another speaker using a concentric driver which didn't sound like this. Of course that was with different electronics but I thought it sounded much better than the SP 10. It also costs more than double the price.
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@garyalex what was the name/brand of the other speaker?
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I wonder if it was Fyne. Fyne provides competition to the Mofi both below and above their price point.
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It was the Heretic AD612. What a difference. I don't like using the term "musical" when describing a speaker's sound but it truly fits. But this speaker is much more expensive than the SP 10 so it's not really fair.
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@larryi
thanks for your report. sibilance is what i was concerned about and is something difficult to fix when there is such a size difference between drivers without filtering out key midrange frequencies.
i like the big bass and high sensitivity but sibilance is my audio kryptonite.
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I did not notice sibilance but only had a very short listen. Are you saying the speakers produced sibilance where there should be none? Sibilance can be a natural occurrence and not necessarily an artifact of reproduction. In fact I’m not sure I have ever heard any good quality hifi that produced artificial sibilance. Maybe if something was defective or not working properly, like a defective driver, crossover, system component or vinyl playback that is not tracking well or record has groove damage. Maybe if amp clipping. In any of these cases the cause is not the speaker design. Speakers just often mistakenly get all the credit or blame accordingly.
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Well, next week there'll be this to look forward to:
Upscale Audio is only about an hour and a half from me (hate LA traffic) but who knows how I'll feel after watching the next video.
All the best,
Nonoise
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@nonoise
"an hour and a half "
SD?
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To be clear, the hardness or sibilance I heard was mild and could be attributable to the other components, or the room or the music sample. What I did note was that the speaker has no controls. This is somewhat of a disappointment—an L-Pad makes it far easier to integrate a speaker into a particular system/room. I know manufacturers are reluctant to include them because customers often don’t know how to use them and complain about the sound, but, I think it is better include controls.
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@grislybutter
No, more like North Hollywood but Upscale Audio is only open M-F and traffic has gotten really bad in this area. San Diego is about a three hour drive nowadays.
I remember when I could drive to SD in just over an hour back in the '80s. In fact, the last time I drove to SD, I avoided the 5 fwy and took the 210 over to the 15 down to SD and it was faster than taking the more direct route on the 5.
All the best,
Nonoise
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@nonoise I asked because I am about the same drivetime away (at night) but I am south of upscale audio.
It's a great company, I purchased from them during covid, very professional, knowledgeable and friendly
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@grislybutter ,
Thanks for the positive feedback on Upscale Audio. I’ve bought all my stereo gear so far from Music Direct but with UA just an afternoon drive away, it made sense to check them out.
In fact, I spoke to them yesterday about trade ins and got a nice ballpark quote that I’d still take a hit on but it would negate the hassle of posting ads for cash & carry only to bombarded with pleas to ship.
They told me they’ve gotten lots of orders for the Sourcepoint 10 speakers already with two before I called and that they’re going to be hard to source after the first batch have sold. That didn’t help. 😄
All the best,
Nonoise
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@nonoise sometimes it's better to take the hit ($$) for convenience. I hate selling speakers because of shipping. Guess that's why I have 6 sets of speakers here in our house, and my kids have inherited a few sets.
Let us know how it all works out and how they sound.
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@nonoise
wow, I wouldn't expect 4K speakers to sell out so fast. Crutchfield is out of them too.
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As much as I want a pair, I'm not going to rush into this just yet. All talks have been preliminary as I'm still on the fence about posting them on USAudiomart. There just may be someone in LA who'd love a pair of JBL 4319 monitors and since it's free to post, I may take that route.
Decisions, decisions.....
All the best,
Nonoise
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The Phase Technology PC-9.5 speakers are still the biggest bargain on the world market
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@grislybutter: According to the MoFi guys I spoke to at CAF last weekend the speakers won’t be available until next month. None of their dealers have received their first deliveries of stock yet.
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Having only "heard" these via the YouTube video, they certainly sound promising. I'm current listening to ELAC speakers, and am a fan of Andrew's work. I'll be anxious to see if Andrew and MOFI employ some trickle-down design marketing and come out with a smaller version using the same technology and theory? Possibly meet another price point i.e $2k?
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We'll be carrying the speakers and look forward to receiving our demo pair.
In regard to stands, we've talked to Noel from Skylan Stands and there's a perfect option for us. He already has a stand developed for the Klipsch Heresy 4 that if rotated 90 degrees from the Klipsch configuration (which is wider than it is deep) and made to be 24" tall instead of 20" tall should work perfectly. From the videos we're seeing, stands used with the SourcePoint 10 seem to be very short. We're thinking that if we go 24", that places the tweeter just slightly below typical seated ear height.
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I would think Sound Anchor stands would have a model that would work with these speakers. Does anyone know the suggested height of the stand?
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Why not just get these stands from Monoprice for $80 and fill them with sand, lead shot, etc. and use a little Bluetack to keep them anchored and further minimize vibration? Or spend $700 on Skylan Stands. To each his own I guess.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=42833
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I totally agree with the Monoprice stand recommendation. I have pairs in 24", 28" and 32".
I was a dealer for Target Audio, Arcici, Sound Anchors and several others.
IMHO, these, with a little bit of inexpensive tweaks and upgrades, are just as good as any of those...and MUCH cheaper.
I sure recommend them...for what it's worth.
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A look at the Sourcepoint 10 manual states the tweeter should be 33" off the floor.
- That's about 2" lower than how I now sit and I'm only 5' 6"
- With my JBL 4319 monitors, my ear is at the lower third of the midrange driver with the tweeter another 5 1/2" higher and I get a healthy dose of the high end that way.
- AJ's design should have decent vertical spread for the tweeter so it should sound good at +/- 5" (at ear level) when listened to at a distance of 8' of more.
- Throwing in some Iso Pucks brings that down to +/- 4"
- Throwing a 2" butcher block brings that down to +/- 2"
- See where I'm going with this?
- That would make my Wharfedale Linton speaker stands more than acceptable at their 17" height and may have some base reinforcement from the lower positioning
Isn't it great how one can rationalize things in this hobby? 😄
All the best,
Nonoise
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I agree that the Linton stands would also be a great choice. Nicer looking too, but more expensive.
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Just came across this mini take on the Sourcepoint 10 and it's one of the most honest ones yet. Not close to perfect like a $25K speaker should be but...
All the best,
Nonoise
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@everest_audio I continue to be amazed how no decent looking speaker stands exist - to my taste. We have incredible speakers - both form and function-wise and hideous looking speaker stands. 4 black columns are an eyesore.
The Linton stands are also an amazingly bad design.
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what isn't a first world problem on this forum?
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@nonoise
thanks for posting that ’mini-take’ - sometimes just a very few well written, to-the-point paragraphs are much more informative than a multi-page review or a lengthy video review on youtube, so much fluff can and should be boiled down to the very essence more often
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@twoleftears
that's pretty cool. They got all the tools to make speaker stands. Now they just need to hire a designer :)
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I was all set to buy Volti Razz speakers in 2023. They really seem to be what I'm after. Sensitivity, dynamics, musical presentation and fun! Now these cam along at about half the price. Darn it all !! I plan on attending the Florida HiFi show to listen to the Volti's. (hopefully also to speak with Greg R. in person. He also seems to be a heck of a guy by our e-mails and all other accounts).
Anyone want to post an opinion ?
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I’ve heard both speakers. In both instances I was at shows so not ideal listening environments. I heard the Razz speakers at the NYC audio show this past September and the Source Point 10 speakers 10 days ago. Based strictly on those experiences I’d choose the Volti speakers. To my ears they treat the mids and highs more gently than do the SP 10. I think the Razz provides more of a warmish natural sound than the SP10. Bass is outstanding on both. Of course, different rooms, electronics and recordings. Perhaps if I’d heard the SP 10s with the same 300b amp I’d feel differently.
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I’ve heard both too at shows and I like both. The Razz is more like horn-based system—it sounds lively and grabs your attention—but it has its own, to me, minor problems with the bass not sounding integrated with the rest of the range. Still it is a competitor to the likes of Cornwalls. The SP 10 sounds more like a good conventional speaker.
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I heard the Razz at the Florida audio show....I bought the Heresy IV's..with Audio-gd vacuum pre and Peachtree GaN 400 class D Ganfet amp... Synergy personified....they sound much more musical to me than the more expensive Volti's....and saved lots of $$$....I called the MO-FI distributor and he said the stands for the SP 10 will be ready in January only $299 with the speakers. Sounds good ....I'm on hold till the stands come in.
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That's a very decent price for a set of matching speaker stands. I have to see how they're made before I decide. Thanks for posting that.
All the best,
Nonoise
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@doyle3433
I have heard the Razz several times and each time it is a sound I could absolutely live with. Most recent was at AXPONA last April. They were aimed with lots of toe in aiming at a spot a few feet in front of the listener. Huge sound stage floor to ceiling, ultra refined with no harshness or glare, and big sounding bass. These are a clear cut above the Klipsch heritage because they have virtually no cabinet resonance coloration. These are the ones I plan to own someday.
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