Fsarc, since this is my first and only experience with SpTech, all I can say is your one lucky SOB!
Enjoy! |
Apparently you can only get the Minis direct from Bob at Sptech I believe, if you put in SP Tech in the browse on Audiogon you will find the introductory offer oon this site. Also Tweek Geek carrys the upper line. He has a web site now also at >
http://www.4sptech.com/version2/index.html |
I have to tell you the real great story involved with these speakers. Since I have had so many speakers, >30 so far, I always play the new ones for my wife who loves music but cares nothing about the hobby. When I played her the SPTECH, she actually said that these have the best definition of any of my others, and that I should not sell them as I ususally do to feed my curiousity. I did not know she even knew what that word meant. She also said they were very good looking so the WAF is high. I have not heard the Silverline but have heard good things. You can get much info on AudioCircle.com regarding SPTECH. They are a small company but may be growing very rapidly. |
Have not heard the Magicos, but at $2500 for the Minis, that would be a large price gap in comparison. I guess the real question is when something sounds, at least to my ears, almost perfect, can something sound more perfect? |
Ethanh, funny you should ask, I tried 4 amps so far, A proceed 150wpc SS, an older Carver 1.5T SS, An Adcom 535 60wpc and then and now a TAD-60 tube amp biased in A/AB. The Tad is my current favorite amp and I find it can drive anything down to 82DBL Sens. in my 20x17 room. The sound with the TAD is just simply amazing. Insturments and vocals are so lifelike it hard to concieve of a better sound for me. I had the Totem Hawks and loved those for Clarity, Detail and soundstage. I believe the Minis bass goes much lower. I just finsihed testing the bass response and found it goes down to 40HZ at good levels and at 30HZ its easily hearable. I don't remember if the hawks could go that low |
Dear Springbok,I actually had first emailed Bob about how much I liked my Mark and Daniels Rubys and they are the highlight of another room currently. He responded that the Minis would probably have more detail than the Rubys so needless to say I was intrigued. I bought a pair of Minis and the two are as close as you can get sonically. The minis have more detail and similar crossover point. These are two of the speakers that will be left in my house for a long long time. As I have been saying lately, the technology is getting to the point that there can be more than one great one. I have room for 4 systems in my house. These two are the ones left. The Minis are close to sounding real and musical as the Rubys. That is the sonics that I value most. Bass is also amazing on both. As for placement I have them about 8 ft apart and two feet from the back wall. Both are not ported as well |
I have them now for 4 days and have put on about 20 hours. I agree as well, but like Groovybassist, I have had a total of 33 pair of speakers which is to many. I bought almost all of them from reviews and forums since I never lived near a higher End store. As you can tell if I currently have two of them, I apparently sold the rest. So many times the ones I bought sounded OK, but bugged me in some way and made me lose interest quickly thus the sale. The Mark and Daniels Rubys I have now for several months and have no intention on selling. The Minis are still a step up in Detail and definition over the amazing Rubys, and like I mentioned, my wife loves them and told me not to sell them like the others. That was her first time asking me that. She usually says they all sound good and she can't tell the difference. I will continue my posting on these over the next several months. |
Guys, I want to point our that if you search the forums for SP Tech, there are several older posts, none by me. The only reason I posted is because this is a New SP Tech product that I was lucky enough to get in on the ground floor
Regards, Bill |
Onhwy61,Mrtennis, I guess I deserve that. but I am not alone. this forum is dedicated to finding the holy grail whether it be speakers, amps, etc. My problem is I am very passionate about all "stuff", electronics in general is my hobby especially regarding music. No-one is forcing anyone to buy anything on this forum. It is a good place to alert people about whats new. I agree 1 Million % that its all subjective after all, I can't exprerience what you experience. I like your marriage counselor analogy, my problem like many other is curiousity and the belief that maybe I can find something a little better.In fact my friend went to a live concert the other day and said it sounded terrible and his audio gear was much better?? So is live music the holy grail? Makes you stop and think what are we really looking for in the end. |
Cleaneduphippy, All speakers by all manufacturers have gone on Audiogon some time or another, this is where I bought 90% of my speakers. SP Tech is a small outfit that had struck a nerve in an underground forum, AudioCircle. I bought them based on all the reviews I could find on the net. If there was one negative, I would have dropped them like a hot potato. I could not find a negative. In fact, the reviews by some professional people were downright magical. There are and have been some for sale on audigon, most upgrading in the SP Tech line. SP TECH has been around, underground wise, for many years. We proud owners feel they should be recognized by the main stream. Bob the designer is having trouble keeping up with production strictly by word of mouth. |
Here is one more note after about 25 hours on the Minis. My Musician friend from California (Sax, Clarinet) who stayed over and I showed him my 4 pair of current speakers to explain the Technology which he is not into like we are. I did not ask him how they sounded, but let him comment if he felt like, We pulled out a SACD of Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon. Remember I did not ask him for an opinion. After listening to all 4, we sat down and talked about music. He then told me that those over there, the Minis were really fine sounding speakers, My wife turned to him and again said can't you tell the difference, I can. I asked Bill (me) please don't sell these, they are real pretty and sound amazing. Again I did not ask either for a current opinion. Its not me talking but two completely unbiased and uninterested bystanders. That's pretty cool |
Sure, currently I am using a NAD preamp, with the TAD-60 Tube amp biased in Class A to>10WPC ad then Class AB I believe until 60WPC. I am using a Cambridge AZur 640C CD player and also an OPPO 970 SACD/DVD Audio. The sound as mentioned is holographic, something like a cross between an Electrostatic and a Box speaker, best of both worlds. I also have a pair of Maggie 1.6s in another room. I personally prefer the Minis over-all. I know they are somewhat more expensive then the Maggies, but in the same price league anyway. |
Well, as promised I am writing this follow up at approx 200 hours. Although SP Tech has finally hit the main stream and risen from the underground forum at AudioCirle. I see that Sp Tech is now advertising on Audiogon, and this gives a larger audience the ability to hear these modern day wonders. The Minis that I own are the bottom of the line. And let me say that they are on the top of all speakers that I have owned IMHO. They are the most non-speaker speaker I have heard. The only thing that comes out of their enclosure is music natural and pure as anything that you will hear in the marketplace. I live in Florida and would love to work for SP Tech in Indiana if I could. My wife still warns me not to sell them and I still have no urge as they are my new reference. |
STOP THE PRESSESS! I WILL SELL MY MINIS!!!!!!!!! >> EITHER WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER OR WHEN I CAN SCRAPE UP enough money to buy a pair of SP Tech Continuum's etc.
Seriously, I have about 300 hours on them and every time I listen to them I still jut settle back and sigh, aaaahhh, that's nice!
As noted, I have 3 other systems that I listen to at different times, and they sound great to me, but when I turn on my Minis the level of excitement is palably real versus the others. Its interesting that you can get used to good sounding equipment and feel comfortable and happy as your ears become acclimated and adapt to the sound. But certain stimulus gives you more or less out of body reaction, and that is the difference between the Minis and most others. If these sound this good, I would have to believe that there upper line sound even better (??) if possible. Anyway I agree that the best way to determine a products real worth is how many and how often they come up for sale. Although SP TECH sells less than the Majors, they almost never come up unless in some cases someone is upgrading. Most of the time it seems people don't sell them, they simply add to what they already have. |
