nice!!!!
We have a Winner -- Major "MINI" monitors
I just have to point out that I am one of the first recipients of the new Model SPTECH Mini speakers. To call these 40 pound each beautiful finished loudspeakers Minis is an OxyMoron. They actually cross over at 800hz so most pf the midrange is handled by one driver! But I have to tell you that after only 5 hours of use, these speakers can beat just about anything on the market today. In some ways, there really isn't anything that at much much higher prices can sound as good as the trade offs begin piling up. I exposed them to some ungodly power barrage usinga 1000wpc amplifier and they did not even blink. The sound coming out are what I call the epitome of a speaker design in that they sound both life like and musical at the same time. This is no small feat. Instruments are so well defined that the umpteen speakers I have owned can't hold a candle to them. Bob the designer and engineer is a terrific guy and very knowledgeable. These speakers destroy anything in their range and most audiophiles would be well served to try and listen to these or anything in the line above the Minis I assume. I just had to pass this on, because I am one of the lucky owners. I want to point out that I have zero affiliation with SP, but am in love wit this product. I believe you can buy them on Audiogon? They are worth several times the current asking price. Don't take my word, try and hear for yourself! There is several review on the net and what I had noticed is that none of them had anything negative to say about this line.
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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. |
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. |
SP Tech -The best speakers I have ever heard. I heard the SP Tech Continuums at an audio show in Denmark in 2005. I entered the room and immediately I heard that this was special. The sound was just so right; dynamic, open, coherent, seamless, organic, boxless, exactly what I have tried to obtain all these years. The first thing I asked Karsten from StudioSound, local dealer in Denmark, was: " where are you hiding the subs?" There were no subs. It was a quite large room so I was impressed by the clean deep bass provided. Classical music was played with such wide and depth, musicians stayed in right position even when thing got complexes. Voices was incredible, open and articulated with a lot of body. This experience to hear the sound that until now only had existed in my mind blew me away. It has haunted me since. Until then I knew nothing about SP Tech. I have been reading on AudioCircle since June its fantastic to witness the same enthusiastic fascination of these speakers. The descriptions are very familiar to what I experienced the first time I heard the SP`s. By reading the SP homepage it appeared to me why these speakers worked so well. Fantastic intelligent design. This summer I decided to switch to a Notebook based front-end and bought an Orpheus One DAC from Karsten. He was so kind to play on his fantastic sounding system including SP Revelation. This was even better. Some weeks later I went back and listened for five hours and that was it. I had to own speakers like that. Now I am waiting for a pair of Revelations with top Mundorf external x-overs. While I wait I am playing on a pair of Continuums 2,0 with upgraded x-over, this is by far the best speakers I have had in my system. The hair on my arms and neck stood up the first time I played on them, scaring lifelike. The dynamic is very special, even at low levels the dynamic are extended. If you beat them, program peaks come to you like a whip. Years ago I was running an audio shop as co-owner, the best speakers we had was Snell Acoustics Type A II and Type A III. My favorite was Type A II. It was till now my reference speaker due to its natural sound and soundstage. Manny A/B testes between wariest speakers over the years, never hit me like the sound from SP Tech. I am looking forward to listen to the minis one day, I am sure they sound grate using the same philosophy as the bigger once. Regards, Brian |
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. |
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 |
Bob, Great site. I enjoyed the review of compromises in various loud speaker designs. I would say it is a fair assessment. For once, it is pleasant and refreshing to read a promotional website for high-end gear that is NOT a bunch of nonsense. I was actually impressed by the phase response Although you do mention custom designed wires at the bottom of the page (silver-gold etc.) which raised my eyebrows just a wee bit...Kudos to you for that extra bit of "zest", as audiophiles will simply lap that up! I look forward to hearing them one day - as your company continues to grow. |
Geared4me, Thank you - and I am glad to be here. If ever I can help with answers or whatever, please don't hesitate to ask. Oh...and if I ever come across as a little too "enthusiastic," please don't shy away from letting me know. In defense though, it's hard to be humble when you're so good. :-) Ha - just kidding. Actually, the truth be told, it's hard to be quiet when you have a big mouth! Cleaneduphippy, Thanks for correcting me. I just hate "HYPE" so much that I go off at the mere suggestion of it. I'm pretty "hard-core" when it comes to engineering and base everything I do on science. Just ask some of our customers. I had a real hard time accepting that wires & cables can make a significant difference. Even after I heard it for myself I couldn't reconcile the fact until I had a theory to explain what's going on with them. This attitude originates from my years working at Crown International and being mentored by guys like the renowned Gerald Stanley. He's a genius par excellence that lives and breathes the science behind everything he does. We're talking the guy that built the world's first high power solid-state audio amplifier...the DC300... as his Master's Thesis Project - geesh. Many of those original units are still in service to this day. It's pretty hard to come away from such an experience without being deeply "indoctrinated" in the science of things. So... Please excuse my zealousness on the subject. I'll be quiet now and go away. Have fun guys! -Bob |
Hi Cleaneduphippy: ... and I certainly would like to hear what Bbchem and Doubleugly thinks of them about six months "down the road" after the "honeymoon" period as worn off.As I've said, I've owned SP Technology speakers for almost 4 years. In fact, the first pair (Timepiece 2.0s) arrived 4 years ago next month, and I still own them. The "'honeymoon' period" came and went a long time ago. Regards, |
Glad to get your input, Bob. But I'm didn't suggest (or certainly didn't mean to suggest) that SP Tech's products are hype (remember I said that "These speakers MAY be great speakers") only that IMHO Bbchem and Doubleugly's reviews of the speakers came across as hype. Certainly would like to hear these speakers as some point in time, and I certainly would like to hear what Bbchem and Doubleugly thinks of them about six months "down the road" after the "honeymoon" period as worn off. To me, a review of some speakers after someone as had it awhile, certainly would be a more accurate and realistic review of the speakers. Would you not agree? |
Bob Smith, Thank you for joining the discussion. I always appreciate it when the person behind a product adds their own personal take on it. I have looked at your website and it is quite informative. I will definitely get at least an audition of your Timepeice Mini and 3.0 in the sring before I move from Ohio back to Montana. |
Hi Cleaneduphippy- Hate to say it, but youra and Doubleugly reviews of these speakers comes across to much like hype.No need to hate it; if I were in your place, I'd no doubt feel the same way. To my knowledge, there are only 4 people in the US with direct ties to SP Technology Loudspeakers - Bob Smith (designer/owner) and his son Jason, Steve Chang (Chang Audio Network) and Mike Garner (Tweekgeek.com). There may be others, but I'm not aware of them. Regards, |
Bbchem, Give us a review on these speakers about six months down the road. Hate to say it, but youra and Doubleugly reviews of these speakers comes across to much like hype. Makes one wonder if y'all have some connection with the manufacter? These speakers MAY be great speakers or they may end up being "a flavor of the month" or at best "a cult favorite". Only time will tell. |
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. |
This is all very interesting and we all have many valid points. My only point in identifying other speakers I've had is as a basis for those which I'm comparing the sound of the SP Tech's to. To my ears, the SP Techs have been the best out of the gate and I'm not hearing anything that would lead me to believe I won't enjoy them for the long term. One thing I do know for certain - there are very few of us right now that have any basis to speak about them with any direct knowledge. I personally consider myself lucky in that regard and will spend a lot of time enjoying them. I hope you all can have the same privilege, regardless of what vehicle you choose to ride. -Mike |
Cleaneduphippy, I have been watching this thread since its beginning and had chosen to stay clear of the debate...until I read your post. I appreciate everyone's skepticism as this is healthy for the consumer and audio market in general. As we all know too well, many claims are rooted in hype and many products are little more than "snake oil." Being the designer and president of SP Technology I am well aware of the limited weight any words that I might write here on this (or any other forum) will carry. In light of this I would still ask you to consider the following. First, if you were to research our products and particularly our website, you will find that our design philosophy and marketing approach is to eschew most of the very concepts embodied in the vast majority of today's audio products. In other words, we don't play up the use of exotic materials or use the latest industry "buzz words" to promote our stuff. Rather, we base our designs on optimizing the fundamentals of the physics involved... then attempt to inform the consumer of those efforts. Second, of all the systems we have delivered I can count on one hand the number that has been sold on the used market. Out of 5 pairs sold used, only one was for the purpose of finding a better performer - and that customer has now returned and purchased our new "top of the line" model that is still in the research phase. Delivery for that is not expected until at least March of 2008. The other customers have sold their systems due either to financial needs or to move up to our larger models. The bottom line is that our customers keep their systems and very few ever end up on the used market. That fact alone is a testimony to the legitimacy of the recent claims being made here and seems to fulfill you requirement for exemption from the "hype club." Finally, I will add one other little “qualifier.” Most of you are familiar with NuForce amplifiers, I assume? What you may not know is that we were the “primary contractor” that they selected to assist them in the design of their “S-9” loudspeaker. Sales to the consumer can be about almost any level of performance and value – or lack thereof. Sales and contracts between companies are a different story. Typically a company doesn’t get selected if all they have to offer is “hype” – especially if they have no marketing to back it up, as in our case. Nevertheless, I am not here to "shill" our products in any way and am being as forthright as I know how to be – so please excuse the intrusion. I am posting here now to simply point out that we have been in business since 2003 and unfortunately, put all of our financial resources into manufacturing and fabricating capacity. Our investment in a considerable amount of machinery including a quite advanced CNC boring/milling center and a 13,000 sq.ft. facility is far from the largest of investments made in the industry, but nevertheless that combined with the ongoing overhead is quite a substantial financial risk and burden. In our short sightedness, this heavy investment left virtually nothing for advertising – until just recently. This is why most of you here on Audiogon have either never heard or have heard very little of us. With only “word of mouth” sales to sustain us, and the considerable overhead, if our products did not offer tremendous value we would have been out of business long ago. So…to sum up… whether or not our products fulfill yours or anyone else’s requirements… to suggest SP Tech’s products are about “hype” couldn’t be much further from the truth. I hope my efforts here have shed a little light on the matter. Have a great Holiday Season and… Take care, Bob Smith SP Technology Loudspeakers |
Double..the "apples vs. oranges" reference was due to the fact i included yet another speaker in this discussion!...the B&Ws..on the surface the SP techs appear to be overpriced...but hey...im cheap too so go figure!...but almost 3gs for a monitor is a little excessive in my book...regardless of performance... |
Hi Mrtennis: I understand and in-part agree with your response to my friend's comment that, "The more you hear, the more you know." I'll only say that we all gain from experience, and I submit that it is actually through deductive reasoning that I've come to own and appreciate SP Technology speakers. The theory behind their design intrigued me, I listened, I liked what I heard, kept them beyond the 30-day MBG period and have now listened to them in my home for almost 4 years. The longer I've owned them, and the more I've compared them to other speakers, the more I understand what it is I like about them, and why. I know what I like, and for at least this moment in time, SP Technology speakers suit me. I don't believe anyone is trying to ram any absolutes down your throat, Mrtennis. The only absolutes I've made refer to my own thoughts and feelings about the speakers, and as you have astutely pointed out, even they are subject to change. Four years and counting, though... that's a heck of an audition period IMHO. Regards, |
Can we say "HYPE" here? These might be the "greatest speakers in the world", but let time tell. Amytime, someone comes around and pretty much says "these are the greatest", my BS meter goes off. I can't wait to see how fast these speakers hit the "for sale" in Audiogon. I'm guessing it won't be all that long. Are these "keepers" or this month "favorites"? Hype would say it fall into the this months "favorites". |
hi doubleugly: i failed to pick up on your last senetence which is not true. knowledge does not come from experience. at best you may be able to use inductive reasoning by extrapolating from previous experience. knowledge is a different entity. it involves truth and certainty. listening to audio equipment has nothing to do with truth and certainty. audio experiences create attitudes and opinions not knowledge. too many times i thought i liked something only to change my mind after extensive audition. where is the knowledge ? in audio, there is only a probability of truth not truth itself |
hi doubleugly: if i like large panel speakers, why would i like a stand mounted box speaker. before i go to the trouble of requesting a pair for the purpose of reviewing them, i should have some idea why i might like them. otherwise, i go through a lot of trouble and it doesn't benefit the designer at all. i am indeed skeptical that any box speaker will last more than a half hour without my wanting to listen to a panel again. so perhaps you could enlighten me as to the benfits of auditioning this speaker. my preferences are large panels, tubes, very soft and rounded presentation, very laid back with lots of depth, no cone woofer "sound", no cross over sound, no emphasis on high frequencies. is this speaker any different from a cone in a box ? |
Mrtennis - if you ever have a chance to hear one of the Mundorf-based SP Tech offerings, I hope you take advantage and report back. They may not be your cup o' tea, but frankly your repeated points of emphasis make you an ideal candidate for ownership IMHO. Then again, you may hate then. Who knows? Some will have to do with component matching, obviously. I ran mine with Butler Monad monoblocks for years, but I heard the new Spectron Musician III Signature Edition drive a pair of Revelations well enough to prompt a very recent change. Might turn out to be a mistake, but time will tell. Regardless, as a wise man once told me, the more you hear, the more you know... Regards, |
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. |
I have had a total of 33 pair of speakers I've owned at least 15 pairs of speakers over the last 20 years I assume people who make statements like this are trying to establish a certain degree of credibility. That said, would you go with your spouse to a marriage counselor who states that he's had 9 different wives and therefore knows about relationships? All I'm saying is that the message can be interpreted more than one way. |
a stand mounted speaker with a small enclosure will not sound the same as a panel with a large radiating area. as fine a product as it might be it is not an apogee , martin logan, quad, magnepan, analysis audio, etc. preference is so subjective that any testimonials are only meaningful to the speaker owner. detail and definition, per se are not substitutes for accuracy of timbre, pitch and dynamics. too much detail leads to an unnatural presentation of the sound of instruments. too much emphasis is placed upon detail and transparency and not enough recognition of timbral realism. |
its better to write an initial review, and a follow up review. this helps others. '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. Well said Jaybo. However, congrats to Bbchem on his new found love. I think it is quite normal to be ecstatic during the honeymoon period. Lets not be "grumpy old men" who resent these SP Tech owners shouting their joy with just a bit too much hyperbole. No doubt great speakers that look awesome...Kudos to all you new SP Tech owners. Enjoy! |
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. |
I've only had my Mini's for a couple of weeks now, but I've owned at least 15 pairs of speakers over the last 20 years from the likes of Thiel, Vandersteen, JM Labs, B&W, Devore, PBN Montana, Naim, Paradigm, Joseph Audio, and on and on. I don't consider myself a neophyte at all and have very sensitive hearing. Add to this the fact that I set-up my systems using test discs and an SPL meter to ensure the spectrum is as balanced as possible in the room in which my system is located and I'm a former musician. While I don't disagree that opinions of a product change over time, I wholeheartedly disagree that initial reviews of a product are somehow less valid than longer term ones. I'm quite confident the Mini's are providing something to me that none of these other (and many much more expensive) designs have offered after careful setup. I guess that's all that really matters to me. Whether others choose to pursue SP Tech speakers is up to them. |
