rikhav
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2008
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Well let me start off with saying this, this review was to be done ages ago and was delayed due to various reasons (people associated with it know what they are)
Secondly I would like to clarify that this is my personal view on the product and is subjective, Should one has a point to make, and that person shall do it in a constructive and positive manner!!
People itching to take pot shot or such can refrain from posting here as that adds no perceived value or serves no purpose to this review or the betterment of this community!
Now since thats taken care off let me jump right into this and start my thing!! One more important thing I wish to make clear is, All the tech bit I write here is given by Sreekanth and Since hes not around to answer the queries one has, I will work towards that by forwarding the queries and posting the answers here on his behalf.
I had been after Sreekanth (Soundsgreat) since a long time to make a pair of BS speakers for me. Since I am not good at DIY and he being the DIY guy it was natural for me to ask him and expect a pair of decent sounding speaker which will not blow a big hole in my valet !!! But alas things never materialized as he was caught up in some thing or the other (including his own Tower speakers project, Tube Pre and what not ! )
One day he calls up and asks me if I am interested in having a BS speaker which he is designing. I knew all the speakers he had designed earlier, also I myself was after him so that very moment I said one pair is mine and he can ship it when he is ready with them. After initial round of discussions about the type and such he gave me the rough specs which suggested that maybe my Lyrita amp would not have enough juice for the speaker since its sensitivity was on the lower side (approximately 86db). Although it did cross my mind and made me think twice as I was no position to change my beloved Lyrita. I didn't have much of a choice/doubt (use whichever you guys deem it fit) since I had read many a threads here suggesting similar combo's producing fabulous sound like Usher with Leben and such, Thought in the worst case all I will have to do is to apologize and request him to take it back or find another suitable person who would take it.
Finally the speakers reached me. (I don't even want to go into how I had to wait for it and what all I had to do to get my hands on them) I was amazed to see the finish of these beauties. Its a pearl paint finish (white with glitter, exactly like a real pearl),there are totally 4 finishes that he has made,They are Piano Black,Pearl White,Charcaol Black (Silversih Grey),Real Wood (Mild Pear)
Before I go onto the details of the speakers and the materials used, I must admit and say that this speaker is anything but normal in terms of things that has gone into the making!! Youll be surprised to see what all exquisite material that has gone into these beautifully crafted speakers, Most of which is nonexistent in all the run of the mill speakers from all the run of the mill brands that commands the market today.
The speaker is very small, Only 12 Tall and 9 deep with front measuring just 7,yes these are the actual dimensions as this speaker, Its a 2 way speaker and is based on a 5.25 midbass driver that is made by a Taiwan OEM, The cone is made of the popular polypropylene material with 1 high temperature multilayer Voice Coil being the heart of this driver and a 1 Dome Tweeter made to his specification, The dome material is a new age material called PEI (Polyetherimide) . The Xovers uses a 16Guage Coil Double layer Enameled Copper and the Caps are of high Grade MKPs to get the best results. Being a second order the two coils used is not of the same type (one vertically aligned on a long cylinder while the other is wound on a typical Round bobbin ) to keep the Xover free from the usual artifacts that plagues the Xovers.
The cabinet is constructed out of a solid 1 thick wood (combination of Particle Board with MDF) to make the cabinet inert (not every day one sees a speaker made of this thick wood that too in a BS is almost unheard of in the budget segment) and is stuffed with glasswool to reduce the internal resonance. The internal wiring is done with 14 Gauge Silver plated Pure Copper with Teflon as its DI-electric (Again something which is totally never seen in a BS, Perhaps even in some of the BS demanding top bucks) ! At the back you have gold plated 5way binding posts as opposed to a spring clip or plastic ones found on most speakers! The Bass duct of the speaker is located at the back as well and is made of the wood is infact an integral part of the speaker rather than some stupid plastic shoved into the wooden box in the name of the port, Having said that the looks of that has to be improved upon as it sort looks shady. Its a rectangular port with the sides tapered or shaped outwards to make air flow smooth, this is where the problem lies as this wood work is a bit of the mark compared to the rest of the thing.
The Tech Specs are thus:
Speaker Type: Two-way
Drives: 5.25 Polypropylene Midbass and 1 PEI Dome
Crossover: 2nd Order Butterworth Crossed between 2-2.5K
Frequency response 40 Hz to 20 kHz
Sensitivity 86 dB
Power handling 100 watts
Dimensions: 7 X 9 X 12 (L X B X H)
The following review was conducted over a period of 3 months with the below mentioned equipment at various point in time.
Source Arcam CD192
Amplification Lyrita 6C33C / Cosmic Lab Concert Series 6 / Sim Audio Moon I-1 / Arcam A-28
Cables Supra Lorad Power Cord / Supra Classic Speakers Cables / Lyrita IC
As Sreekanth had recommended that a minimum of 50 watt amp would be ideal to be paired with these speakers, I decided to hook it up first with my Cosmic Amp (Custom Moded by Akshay Jha ). Listening to a few tracks I could not find a noticeable difference in comparison with the Wharf dale Diamonds 8.2 that I was currently using (off course keeping no Burn-in period in mind). Hindi Cds were in-general sounding quite harsh. So I just decided to let the speakers burn in for about 8 to 10 hours. I used the XLO test cd and played the system burn in track at moderate volumes.
After the burn in was done for about 8 to 10 hours, I decided to give one more go. The sound felt bit more balanced, bass being much tighter than before giving me assurance that things will eventually fall into place once it has enough mileage on it. The sound had good resolution as well but I felt specially with Hindi cds that the sound at time was getting harsh, Immediately called up Sreekanth and he told that this being a very revealing speaker it will bring out the flaws in the recording to a level where newbies like me start to think of it as a negative thing, Also he added that the harshness in the highs will reduce after playing the speakers a little more but I cant expect any miracles. I then decided to hook up the Lyrita amp with the speakers and see where that takes me. Played some of the Cd's with good recording from Artists like Allan Taylor,Dhaffer Youssef, Indian Ocean and Kailash Kher.
At first it just sounded better then Cosmic but didn't have the punch or the authority so I had to crank the volume between 12 to 2 oclock since the amp only produces 15 watts (well relatively speaking off course everyone knows what Tubes are capable of) but the sound was clean and good.
There was a major improvement in the bass, When I say Bass most of the folks relate it to the quantum of low frequency reproduced, Well although it may be to them but the fact remains that Bass is all about the low frequency being reproduced accurately without it being boomy or loose or depthless, The importance of this fact will be known when you play some acoustic instruments or such where it should sound exactly the same, for example if you hear the Chinese Drums, they tend to sound flat or bit less in terms of quantity at times considering the size of those damn things, if your setup is accurate you should hear it the same way not in any other way !! If its not accurate youll hear a gamut of LF coming from the setup which may be pleasing to some but is not correct or real. The highs, the same goes to this as well, A proper setup should reveal information without much of a fuss or adding zing to it or coloring it, Say a flute in its high notes should not be shrill, similarly a cymbal should not be that extra zingy and the mids were well balanced without sounding harsh or artificial ! So the overall sound thrown out the speakers were really impressive with the highs feeling very silky and airy and the mids had the body and warmth needed to keep one connected to the music, So was the Bass ( Have to hand it over to them for reproducing bass with such accuracy & aplomb that it must be praised )
Also I could feel the vocals coming from the dead-center and from behind of the speakers (As in a step backwards in line with main sound). Could easily make out that some of the instruments are being played at the back of the singer and some in line with the singer, In a nutshell these speakers were a major upgrade for me with respect to sound stage, imaging, slam and overall sound that it threw out. I must specially mention the fact that these are just 5.25 midbass drivers that was doing bass and mid and they sound quite good like I mentioned before. Also the fact that these are speakers whose dimensions are astonishingly small !!
I have not heard many hi end setups but for me, my earlier setup which consisted of Diamond 8.2 speakers, Lyrita amp and Arcam CD 192 these speakers were a major major upgrade in all departments.
Things only got better from here as the More I burnt the speakers, the more it started sounding better to a point where I just couldnt listen to my old speakers or any such normal speakers thereafter.
Even with the Lyrita tube amp which produces only 15 watts the speakers produced enough SPL and that too without the amp and speaker both stepping into distortion zone is a sign of things that the setup is made or the sound of the combo should one chose to go with the Tube route to pair these speakers.
Some of the highlights of my listening that I wish put forward specially are:
1. Allan Taylors Old Roads and New Friends : Track 4 which opens with Guitar sounded so exquisite that almost felt these are some big sized speakers in my setup
2. Allan Taylors Leaving at Dawn : Track 4 where Vocals are haunting and deep, this track is a real cracker for speaker test as it can sound bit bass heavy with vocals getting to border of being muddy
3. Dhafer Yousseff Electric Sufi : This Artist is a real Genius and the usage of Indian and world sound with influences of Sufi and traditional sound is commendable ! In this CD the track 8 which is a Jazz representation of sorts was real treat
4. Dhafer Yousseff Electric Sufi : Track 12 which opens with flute can immerse one into the world of music, I felt as if the artist is sitting in front of me and playing the instrument such fluid was the sound, the air he breaths into the flute could be heard distinctively.
5. Dhafer Yousseff Digital Prophecy: Track 9 is a lounge kind of track where cymbals and electric synthesizer based bass is used had me convinced that these speakers need no additional bass augmenting device such a as sub.
6. Black Friday by Indian Ocean: Track 3 The attack in the sound of guitar and the way the vocals are delivered transforms into a very powerful sound
7. Devdas Bairi Piya Another forum member who had auditioned the speakers found this track to be sounding too shrill and unnatural specially in the highs. For me, the top end was not on the edge or getting harsh but definitely not in the league of other tracks mentioned,this fact can attrributed to the earlier mentioned qualities of the speaker or the lack of it depending on once's choice or taste !!
I was fortunate enough to have Sim Audio Moon I1 and Arcam A28 amps courtesy Boomarang for Auditioning at my place with these speakers, As told by Sreekanth that ideally a 50 to 100 watt amp would be a good match for the speakers was really felt when I heard these Amps, In Sim Audio the sound actually came alive in the bass department, having all the other good qualities in common with the Lyrita as said earlier.
If I must elaborate the Experience of these 2 Amps I would say this, The Sim Audio Amp had oodles of Depth and Imaging to the sound, and Bass was the best among the lot I heard! It elopes the listeners to a sonic nirvana with excellent overall reproduction of all the frequencies and the kind of grip with which it reproduces these are at best experienced then wrote or explained!
The Arcam had similar story to tell but was just not up to the speeds of the Sim Audio in overall reproduction, it sometimes can give a wrong impression of being dull and boring which not once was noticed in Sim Audio.
Well this sums up my so called review of a Fantastic Speakers made by DIY dude Sreekanth. I also must thank Sreekanth for introducing me to a different kind of sound either by recommending the artists like Dhaffer Yousseff. And the likes, Also for giving me the opportunity and pleasure of listening to a completely different kind of sound which I was not exposed to until now !!
Final thoughts: Yes these are no doubt the best speakers Ive heard so far and will do 100% justice to many types of music, I have absolutely no qualms in saying that. I do however have some suggestions for the creator, please do improve the overall finish especially the back port area and the front grill can be curved or given a smooth edge then the current flat out look to make it more appealing. As with the suggestions or such on the sound, Am really out of words as I can hardly think of any negative points right now, that doesn't meant a sqaut, Perhaps a more experienced listener like Dinyaar, Asitji or Sidvee or the likes who have far more experience than me will be able to tell or give it to Sreekanth. Also worth noting is the point that these are speakers with some restrictions and certain handicaps as they are made within certain budget (Read 20-25K). I will noopt say that these are by all means the best sounding BS available but it does things what hardly any or no other speaker does at the price level of 20K or twice that!
As I said earlier my exposure to high end system is limited so take my views with a pinch of salt.
As of this moment there are no less than 6 guys who have heard these speaker either at their own place or at a common place, More folks are waiting to listen to them so I request all of them to post their feedback here in this thread so that we can have common place to talk about the merits and demerits of the speakers and also any useful feedback which can incorporated into these speakers in the future.
Also anyone in Mumbai who wishes to pop in for a session with these beauties can do so by communicating to me Via PM. Also folks interested to audition it in Bangalore can PM me to Co-ordinate with Sreekanth for the same.
Secondly I would like to clarify that this is my personal view on the product and is subjective, Should one has a point to make, and that person shall do it in a constructive and positive manner!!
People itching to take pot shot or such can refrain from posting here as that adds no perceived value or serves no purpose to this review or the betterment of this community!
Now since thats taken care off let me jump right into this and start my thing!! One more important thing I wish to make clear is, All the tech bit I write here is given by Sreekanth and Since hes not around to answer the queries one has, I will work towards that by forwarding the queries and posting the answers here on his behalf.
I had been after Sreekanth (Soundsgreat) since a long time to make a pair of BS speakers for me. Since I am not good at DIY and he being the DIY guy it was natural for me to ask him and expect a pair of decent sounding speaker which will not blow a big hole in my valet !!! But alas things never materialized as he was caught up in some thing or the other (including his own Tower speakers project, Tube Pre and what not ! )
One day he calls up and asks me if I am interested in having a BS speaker which he is designing. I knew all the speakers he had designed earlier, also I myself was after him so that very moment I said one pair is mine and he can ship it when he is ready with them. After initial round of discussions about the type and such he gave me the rough specs which suggested that maybe my Lyrita amp would not have enough juice for the speaker since its sensitivity was on the lower side (approximately 86db). Although it did cross my mind and made me think twice as I was no position to change my beloved Lyrita. I didn't have much of a choice/doubt (use whichever you guys deem it fit) since I had read many a threads here suggesting similar combo's producing fabulous sound like Usher with Leben and such, Thought in the worst case all I will have to do is to apologize and request him to take it back or find another suitable person who would take it.
Finally the speakers reached me. (I don't even want to go into how I had to wait for it and what all I had to do to get my hands on them) I was amazed to see the finish of these beauties. Its a pearl paint finish (white with glitter, exactly like a real pearl),there are totally 4 finishes that he has made,They are Piano Black,Pearl White,Charcaol Black (Silversih Grey),Real Wood (Mild Pear)
Before I go onto the details of the speakers and the materials used, I must admit and say that this speaker is anything but normal in terms of things that has gone into the making!! Youll be surprised to see what all exquisite material that has gone into these beautifully crafted speakers, Most of which is nonexistent in all the run of the mill speakers from all the run of the mill brands that commands the market today.
The speaker is very small, Only 12 Tall and 9 deep with front measuring just 7,yes these are the actual dimensions as this speaker, Its a 2 way speaker and is based on a 5.25 midbass driver that is made by a Taiwan OEM, The cone is made of the popular polypropylene material with 1 high temperature multilayer Voice Coil being the heart of this driver and a 1 Dome Tweeter made to his specification, The dome material is a new age material called PEI (Polyetherimide) . The Xovers uses a 16Guage Coil Double layer Enameled Copper and the Caps are of high Grade MKPs to get the best results. Being a second order the two coils used is not of the same type (one vertically aligned on a long cylinder while the other is wound on a typical Round bobbin ) to keep the Xover free from the usual artifacts that plagues the Xovers.
The cabinet is constructed out of a solid 1 thick wood (combination of Particle Board with MDF) to make the cabinet inert (not every day one sees a speaker made of this thick wood that too in a BS is almost unheard of in the budget segment) and is stuffed with glasswool to reduce the internal resonance. The internal wiring is done with 14 Gauge Silver plated Pure Copper with Teflon as its DI-electric (Again something which is totally never seen in a BS, Perhaps even in some of the BS demanding top bucks) ! At the back you have gold plated 5way binding posts as opposed to a spring clip or plastic ones found on most speakers! The Bass duct of the speaker is located at the back as well and is made of the wood is infact an integral part of the speaker rather than some stupid plastic shoved into the wooden box in the name of the port, Having said that the looks of that has to be improved upon as it sort looks shady. Its a rectangular port with the sides tapered or shaped outwards to make air flow smooth, this is where the problem lies as this wood work is a bit of the mark compared to the rest of the thing.
The Tech Specs are thus:
Speaker Type: Two-way
Drives: 5.25 Polypropylene Midbass and 1 PEI Dome
Crossover: 2nd Order Butterworth Crossed between 2-2.5K
Frequency response 40 Hz to 20 kHz
Sensitivity 86 dB
Power handling 100 watts
Dimensions: 7 X 9 X 12 (L X B X H)
The following review was conducted over a period of 3 months with the below mentioned equipment at various point in time.
Source Arcam CD192
Amplification Lyrita 6C33C / Cosmic Lab Concert Series 6 / Sim Audio Moon I-1 / Arcam A-28
Cables Supra Lorad Power Cord / Supra Classic Speakers Cables / Lyrita IC
As Sreekanth had recommended that a minimum of 50 watt amp would be ideal to be paired with these speakers, I decided to hook it up first with my Cosmic Amp (Custom Moded by Akshay Jha ). Listening to a few tracks I could not find a noticeable difference in comparison with the Wharf dale Diamonds 8.2 that I was currently using (off course keeping no Burn-in period in mind). Hindi Cds were in-general sounding quite harsh. So I just decided to let the speakers burn in for about 8 to 10 hours. I used the XLO test cd and played the system burn in track at moderate volumes.
After the burn in was done for about 8 to 10 hours, I decided to give one more go. The sound felt bit more balanced, bass being much tighter than before giving me assurance that things will eventually fall into place once it has enough mileage on it. The sound had good resolution as well but I felt specially with Hindi cds that the sound at time was getting harsh, Immediately called up Sreekanth and he told that this being a very revealing speaker it will bring out the flaws in the recording to a level where newbies like me start to think of it as a negative thing, Also he added that the harshness in the highs will reduce after playing the speakers a little more but I cant expect any miracles. I then decided to hook up the Lyrita amp with the speakers and see where that takes me. Played some of the Cd's with good recording from Artists like Allan Taylor,Dhaffer Youssef, Indian Ocean and Kailash Kher.
At first it just sounded better then Cosmic but didn't have the punch or the authority so I had to crank the volume between 12 to 2 oclock since the amp only produces 15 watts (well relatively speaking off course everyone knows what Tubes are capable of) but the sound was clean and good.
There was a major improvement in the bass, When I say Bass most of the folks relate it to the quantum of low frequency reproduced, Well although it may be to them but the fact remains that Bass is all about the low frequency being reproduced accurately without it being boomy or loose or depthless, The importance of this fact will be known when you play some acoustic instruments or such where it should sound exactly the same, for example if you hear the Chinese Drums, they tend to sound flat or bit less in terms of quantity at times considering the size of those damn things, if your setup is accurate you should hear it the same way not in any other way !! If its not accurate youll hear a gamut of LF coming from the setup which may be pleasing to some but is not correct or real. The highs, the same goes to this as well, A proper setup should reveal information without much of a fuss or adding zing to it or coloring it, Say a flute in its high notes should not be shrill, similarly a cymbal should not be that extra zingy and the mids were well balanced without sounding harsh or artificial ! So the overall sound thrown out the speakers were really impressive with the highs feeling very silky and airy and the mids had the body and warmth needed to keep one connected to the music, So was the Bass ( Have to hand it over to them for reproducing bass with such accuracy & aplomb that it must be praised )
Also I could feel the vocals coming from the dead-center and from behind of the speakers (As in a step backwards in line with main sound). Could easily make out that some of the instruments are being played at the back of the singer and some in line with the singer, In a nutshell these speakers were a major upgrade for me with respect to sound stage, imaging, slam and overall sound that it threw out. I must specially mention the fact that these are just 5.25 midbass drivers that was doing bass and mid and they sound quite good like I mentioned before. Also the fact that these are speakers whose dimensions are astonishingly small !!
I have not heard many hi end setups but for me, my earlier setup which consisted of Diamond 8.2 speakers, Lyrita amp and Arcam CD 192 these speakers were a major major upgrade in all departments.
Things only got better from here as the More I burnt the speakers, the more it started sounding better to a point where I just couldnt listen to my old speakers or any such normal speakers thereafter.
Even with the Lyrita tube amp which produces only 15 watts the speakers produced enough SPL and that too without the amp and speaker both stepping into distortion zone is a sign of things that the setup is made or the sound of the combo should one chose to go with the Tube route to pair these speakers.
Some of the highlights of my listening that I wish put forward specially are:
1. Allan Taylors Old Roads and New Friends : Track 4 which opens with Guitar sounded so exquisite that almost felt these are some big sized speakers in my setup
2. Allan Taylors Leaving at Dawn : Track 4 where Vocals are haunting and deep, this track is a real cracker for speaker test as it can sound bit bass heavy with vocals getting to border of being muddy
3. Dhafer Yousseff Electric Sufi : This Artist is a real Genius and the usage of Indian and world sound with influences of Sufi and traditional sound is commendable ! In this CD the track 8 which is a Jazz representation of sorts was real treat
4. Dhafer Yousseff Electric Sufi : Track 12 which opens with flute can immerse one into the world of music, I felt as if the artist is sitting in front of me and playing the instrument such fluid was the sound, the air he breaths into the flute could be heard distinctively.
5. Dhafer Yousseff Digital Prophecy: Track 9 is a lounge kind of track where cymbals and electric synthesizer based bass is used had me convinced that these speakers need no additional bass augmenting device such a as sub.
6. Black Friday by Indian Ocean: Track 3 The attack in the sound of guitar and the way the vocals are delivered transforms into a very powerful sound
7. Devdas Bairi Piya Another forum member who had auditioned the speakers found this track to be sounding too shrill and unnatural specially in the highs. For me, the top end was not on the edge or getting harsh but definitely not in the league of other tracks mentioned,this fact can attrributed to the earlier mentioned qualities of the speaker or the lack of it depending on once's choice or taste !!
I was fortunate enough to have Sim Audio Moon I1 and Arcam A28 amps courtesy Boomarang for Auditioning at my place with these speakers, As told by Sreekanth that ideally a 50 to 100 watt amp would be a good match for the speakers was really felt when I heard these Amps, In Sim Audio the sound actually came alive in the bass department, having all the other good qualities in common with the Lyrita as said earlier.
If I must elaborate the Experience of these 2 Amps I would say this, The Sim Audio Amp had oodles of Depth and Imaging to the sound, and Bass was the best among the lot I heard! It elopes the listeners to a sonic nirvana with excellent overall reproduction of all the frequencies and the kind of grip with which it reproduces these are at best experienced then wrote or explained!
The Arcam had similar story to tell but was just not up to the speeds of the Sim Audio in overall reproduction, it sometimes can give a wrong impression of being dull and boring which not once was noticed in Sim Audio.
Well this sums up my so called review of a Fantastic Speakers made by DIY dude Sreekanth. I also must thank Sreekanth for introducing me to a different kind of sound either by recommending the artists like Dhaffer Yousseff. And the likes, Also for giving me the opportunity and pleasure of listening to a completely different kind of sound which I was not exposed to until now !!
Final thoughts: Yes these are no doubt the best speakers Ive heard so far and will do 100% justice to many types of music, I have absolutely no qualms in saying that. I do however have some suggestions for the creator, please do improve the overall finish especially the back port area and the front grill can be curved or given a smooth edge then the current flat out look to make it more appealing. As with the suggestions or such on the sound, Am really out of words as I can hardly think of any negative points right now, that doesn't meant a sqaut, Perhaps a more experienced listener like Dinyaar, Asitji or Sidvee or the likes who have far more experience than me will be able to tell or give it to Sreekanth. Also worth noting is the point that these are speakers with some restrictions and certain handicaps as they are made within certain budget (Read 20-25K). I will noopt say that these are by all means the best sounding BS available but it does things what hardly any or no other speaker does at the price level of 20K or twice that!
As I said earlier my exposure to high end system is limited so take my views with a pinch of salt.
As of this moment there are no less than 6 guys who have heard these speaker either at their own place or at a common place, More folks are waiting to listen to them so I request all of them to post their feedback here in this thread so that we can have common place to talk about the merits and demerits of the speakers and also any useful feedback which can incorporated into these speakers in the future.
Also anyone in Mumbai who wishes to pop in for a session with these beauties can do so by communicating to me Via PM. Also folks interested to audition it in Bangalore can PM me to Co-ordinate with Sreekanth for the same.
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