.if you have these years from now, that (in of itself)will be the real testimonial. I've owned my Timepieces for almost 4 years. I own other speakers, too, but the SP Techs get the vast majority of play time. As I said in my initial post, I understand credibility is earned over time. Conversely, the fact that I and/or some of the others don't have hundreds of posts here doesn't mean we're neophytes, or that we're blind to the myriad of issues associated with this hobby and this medium. My opinion of SP Technology speakers is based upon years of ownership. Whether the same holds true for Bbchem, Groovybassist and others remains to be seen. |
Very, very good point, Jaybo. I have been guilty of writing mini-reviews after one day, too. There is no doubt that distance lends veracity to the view. |
I completely agree with Mrtennis and Jaybo. I love my Silverline Audio SR17.5s and having owned them for 2 months now I am completely blown away by them. But, I will wait for 6 more months or so before writing any kind of review on them specifically because of Jaybo's point. |
mr tennis is correct...there can't be 'only one', not even with an individual over time...here is the problem with 'testimonial' threads touting new products. most of us have had incredible first impressions over the 'fine points' of a product's character that eventually become the 'very reasons' we move on to something else. its better to write an initial review, and a follow up review. this helps others. the 'hurray-i love this speaker-only to get something else in a month or two-'thread is way too common...if you have these years from now, that (in of itself)will be the real testimonial. |
the problem with the word transparency is that it has nothing to do with timbre it is an artifact of sound, somewhat like focus.
did anyone attend a concert of un amplified music and use the word transparent to describe the presentation ?
it is a word which audiophiles use. it doesn't necessarily mean that what you hear is real, or that instruments are accurate timbrally. sometimes transparent borders on analytical. |
Well doublugly, if I have to wait I have to wait. And who knows, in that interim an even better speaker by some other manufacturer may come out and then I'll be glad I had to wait. And how would I know it was a better speaker? Advertising, as Jaybo suggests, or, possibly even a similar thread on the 'Gon will tip me off. |
Phasecorrect -
I'm not sure why you'd think it an "apples vs. oranges" comparison; I think it'd actually be a pretty valid comparison of similar design approaches. I'm a big fan of Roy's work, and have met him couple of times at shows. He's an terrific designer IMO, and a very nice, laid-back sort of fellow.
If SP Tech didn't exist, I'd probably own one or more of Roy's speakers. For the money, it would be difficult to find a speaker that better suits what *I* want from a speaker.
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it is a stretch to say they are the best speakers, period. If you're referring to my comments, they were in reference to SP Tech's top-of-the-line speaker, the Revelations. And yes, to my ears, they're the best I've ever heard. Did I miss an "absolute statement" wherein someone said they're the best ever, period, for everyone? As for the Quad '57s, here is one person's comparison of his Quads and an 'older' version of Timepieces he owns. The latest SP Tech speakers employ the use of all Mundorf crossover pieces and parts, a significant upgrade from the speakers he and I own. |
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 |
Would be interesting to demo this vs. GMA Europas...i know this is apples vs. oranges...but they gave B&W 805(?) standmount a serious run for their monney...at 1/3 the price... |
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i gather someone likes these speakers. no doubt there is a good reason for the praise. i may get to hear them myself.
it is a stretch to say they are the best speakers, period.
it is always a matter of taste and i wonder if there is anything to be accomlished by making such an absolute statement.
consider all of the large panel speakers out there and the original quad 57s. it would be interesting to compare a mini monitor with a larger speaker. |
BbChem, what happened to the Ruby's? What are the placement restraints on these SPTech mini's? Do they have to be far from the front walls like the Mark-Daniel monitors? |
If you're serious, Tarsando, you may have to wait. Response to the Mini has been overwhelmingly positive, so much so that Bob said he needs to stop answering the phone until after the first of the year in order to meet current demand. He's essentially a 2-man shop, though I see that changing in the not-too-distant future. I said back in 2004 that things were sure to break at some point. It seems the Timepiece Mini has taken SP Technology to the brink, and with more speakers going out to new owners every day, I believe it's just a matter of time. |
Such overwhelming, spontaneous praise for these new speakers... Im going to buy a pair! Or maybe two...one for the listening room one for the family room. |
I still own the first pair of Timepiece 2.0s Bob Smith sold outside a 50-mile radius of La Porte, IN, and I believe Duke's analysis of Bob is spot on - He's a very humble yet extremely enthusiastic man, and does his homework with extreme diligence and precision and tenacity and competence. I have a great deal of respect for the man and for his loudspeakers. I've been dealing with Bob for years, and yes, he is all those things, as well as being a brilliant designer. His smaller speakers are world-class IMHO, and the top-of-the-line Revelations are the best top-to-bottom (especially bottom!) I've ever heard, bar none. The super low crossover point is seamless to my ears, a fact that will only become more evident as one compares them to other speakers. It took Bob years to tune the waveguide by hand to find the exact dimensions necessary to (1) allow the desired crossover point and (2) exhibit the dispersion characteristics he wanted. Bass is tight and tuneful in every SP Technology speaker I've heard (all but the Timepiece Mini), but the proprietary T-line used in the Revelations and (presumably) in the coming Revelation Grand Master and Infra-Wave subwoofer is unlike any I've ever heard. It represents the only time in my music-loving life that my jaw literally went slack the first time I heard it. I'm not sufficiently articulate to describe it; it's one of those things you must hear to understand and believe, which is precisely what happened during a listening session at Steve Chang's Denver home (Chang Audio Network - changaudio@msn.com) during October's RMAF. After all, a speaker capable of replacing Sound Lab A-1s and convincing enough to bring tears to the eyes of renowned speaker-hater Jim Merod must have something going for them, eh? Here's the feedback Jim offered SP Tech after hearing the Revelation MR-1 MKII's at T.H.E. SHOW 2006 - "I despise speakers. I love microphones ... all microphones, because -- if you know what you're doing -- each microphone,
no matter what, is useful in a set of special applications.
"I count the number of speakers I've used, heard, and reviewed that earn my complete respect on one hand . . . less than five fingers.
"I've never heard a speaker that reproduces all the music --
all the ambient information I strive to capture in my recordings
-- until I heard SP TECH's 'Revelation MR-1' . . . I'll not relent until, with their shocking nakedness, they are locked into place as monitoring companions here at BluePort Sound."
-- JIM MEROD / BluePort Sound The "tears" comment is supported by Greg Weaver's coverage in Positive Feedback Online. See the comments beneath the next to last picture here. Though I did list the Timepieces in the "best all around monitor" thread a few years ago, I don't often post here, and I realize credibility is earned. As SP Technology speakers continue to find their way into the hands of new owners, I'm confident my credibility and that of other happy SP Technology owners will realize a commensurate boost. FWIW, my classically-trained wife (piano & trumpet) has asked that I bring no other brand of speaker into the home, a request to which I have unhesitatingly - and happily - acquiesced. And finally, aside from being a longstanding customer and vocal supporter of Bob Smith and of SP Technology, I have no affiliation with or investment in this or any other audio-related company. Regards, |
I switched, after one year of ownership, for reasons I'm not going to discuss on a public forum. I owned a pair of SP Tech Continuum A.D. monitors a couple of years ago when SP Tech was first starting out, so I'm familiar with the SP Tech sound. They weren't perfect back then, but some of the things they did were amazing and still burned in my aural memory. With some of he recent changes in drivers and crossover components, I have no doubt the current crop will be world beaters. Can they compare to the MM3? Time will tell. |
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 |
Fsarc,you've only had the Evolution Acoustics for a short while. Why did you switch to the SP Technology? |
Bbchem, I'm curious about what sort of power you're feeding the minis. Would you say the speakers may be a little power hungry or do you think they'd be OK with moderate powered tubes? Also, how would you say the bass of the mini compares to a smallish floorstander like the Totem Hawk? |
I can second Bbchem's thoughts on the SP Tech Mini's. I've also been lucky enough to receive a pair and am truly amazed at how they sound. I spent literally 30 seconds setting them up and right out of the gate, they sound better than any other speaker I've had in my room, many of which were well known, expensive designs requiring lots of care with positioning. These speakers literally disappear and leave a very clean, coherent sonic window. I'm listening to discs I've heard many times before and I can honestly say that for the first time I'm hearing the intent of the musicians as they play and their interaction. Hard to describe, but easy to hear. Bass is deep and tight, mids are clear and open, and the treble is very detailed, with no etch or harshness. Pace and rhythm are faultless as well. I couldn't be more delighted!
-Mike |
Fsarc,
I would love to hear your impressions with the comparison to the Evolution Acoustics MM3 speakers. |
Fsarc, since this is my first and only experience with SpTech, all I can say is your one lucky SOB!
Enjoy! |
"He's a very humble yet extremely enthusiastic man, and does his homework with extreme diligence and precision and tenacity and competence. I have a great deal of respect for the man and for his loudspeakers."
Well said Duke. I would also add brilliant engineer. My SP Tech Continuum 2.5 IIIs should be arriving shortly. |
Congrats on your new speakers, Bbchem!
If I weren't doing something similar in format myself, I'd definitely be a dealer for Bob Smith. He's a very humble yet extremely enthusiastic man, and does his homework with extreme diligence and precision and tenacity and competence. I have a great deal of respect for the man and for his loudspeakers.
Duke
dealer/manufacturer |
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? |
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. |
How do these compare to the more famous Magico Mini's? |
There is great work being done in the "Mega Mini Monitor" category. I have the Silverline SR17.5s and they too are incredible. I would describe their sound the same way you have described the Minis "both lifelike and musical" with in room -6db at 32hz. I would love to be able to compare them with the SP Tech Mini. |
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 |
This designer must be a true genius if he can drop a crossover in at 800 hz and have a transparent transition. Good for him. I'd love to hear them. Does he have a dealer network yet? |
Thanks for sharing..I'd had read a bit regarding the SP Tech line and their hybrid waveguide/shallow horn philosophy..Looks very interesting and Poistive On-line had some nice things to say of the 2.5 Conti.I swore I was looking at a KEF 104.2 for a second on first view!
SP Maybe the next great speaker and technology to come down the line since ESL's..
Enjoy your Mini's!
Ken |
'give me immortality or give me death'.....firesign theatre |
