[xsb7244]

Jager for $2799.  I hope somebody buys one and give us a review.

[mresseguie]

As soon as I saw that speaker, I thought of a speaker that's made in Taiwan. The link is Chinese, but you should be able to figure out the specs. 94dB, titanium compression driver, carbon fiber 8" woofers. I don't recall the price in Taiwan.

http://www.lals-audio.com.tw/product/product.asp?smenutitle=Neo%2DClassical+82&book_id=112&hot=&Category1_ID=&Category2_ID=&anclasspro=&nclasspro=&MenuTitle=Neo%2DClassical+Series&pagetitle=Neo%2DClassical+82

[JLM]

I recall seeing/hearing a Bottlehead speaker about 12 years ago that consisted of a shelf height vertical array of extended range drivers.  Not impressed with the concept or the sound.

[PMAT]

Geese JLM. Wasn't that 12 years ago? Crapping on the parade? Might sound good.

[wushuliu]

Guessing those are Silver Flute woofers. They have a rep as decent budget woofers on the warm side. But likely NOT in the same league as those carbon fiber woofers.

[JLM]

Geese JLM. Wasn't that 12 years ago? Crapping on the parade? Might sound good.

Just providing perspective.  Tried to get into the SET scene back then but couldn't find matching speakers I liked (I'm a "speaker guy").  It's really hard to find high efficiency drivers that are affordable, not colored, with an audiophile level of detail, can properly image, and yet provide at least a semblance of foundational bass.  Is that too much to ask for?

[roscoe65]

I would assert that it is not fair to compare what Bottlehead is doing now with its previous offerings.  That being said, Bottlehead's speaker offerings have been providing its amp buyers with something to play their 2 watt amps on.  Speakers have not been a mainstay of the Bottlehead line (nor has their DAC).  While they seem to do well with amps and preamps, their other offerings have enjoyed less success.  A $2,500 94dB speaker kit has a lot of competition.  This may be the best-voiced speaker in the world, but I have my doubts that it would successfully compete with something like the Omega Super 3 HO Tower in anything but the bass.

Frankly, if I were spending this kind of money on a HE speaker it would be a pair of Omega Super 3 HO monitors ($1,300), a pair of Rythmik L12 subwoofers ($1,100), a pair of T26SG tweeters ($100) firing upward behind the mains.  For the same money you now have a system with true 30-20khz capability and 97dB sensitivity.

[glynnw]

I built a pair of Bottlehead Straight 8s, their first speaker.  To my ears it sounded fine - I replaced a pair of Waveform Solo speakers with the Bottlehead.  I first heard them at a friend's house who had a Bottlehead system.  It was so far ahead of mine that that evening I placed all my well known high-end gear up for sale and started over with a SET system.  It took my current Shindo Montille 6V6 amp to knock my Bottlehead 300B out of the system, and that was a close call.  I think to a degree, at the time I switched out of boredom, but after several years of besting every amp I have thrown at it, the Shindo remains.  I currrently use a Bottlehead DAC and remain loyal to the Bottlehead family of DIY geeks, building a new kit every couple of years.  I highly recommend their products to anyone who wants to build their own gear.  Back to the Staright 8s, it took my discovery of Open Baffle speakers to beat the Straight 8s, which I sold to a lifelong friend.  He bought a small tube amp and loves the system. If he ever tires of them, I retain the right to buy them back.   

[xsb7244]

For only those are are interested, go to the Bottlehead forum to read the 10 page history of the Jager speaker.

[Steve]

Just providing perspective.  Tried to get into the SET scene back then but couldn't find matching speakers I liked (I'm a "speaker guy").  It's really hard to find high efficiency drivers that are affordable, not colored, with an audiophile level of detail, can properly image, and yet provide at least a semblance of foundational bass.  Is that too much to ask for?

+1.

[AJinFLA]

It's really hard to find high efficiency drivers that are affordable, not colored, with an audiophile level of detail, can properly image, and yet provide at least a semblance of foundational bass.  Is that too much to ask for?
(I'm a "speaker guy")

Then you know Hoffmans Iron Law  .
Efficiency, bass extension and size. For your above desires, that means size. A lot larger than other folks may believe.
Some of the specs I see with so called HE speakers are pure fantasy, fit for gullible true believers only (measured soundwaves from physical reality plays no role here).
Fact is, for a semblance of deep bass in a passive, high sensitivity design, the enclosure will be quite large, as dictated by laws of physics.

cheers,

AJ