AudioCircle
Industry Circles => Spatial Audio => Topic started by: Spatial Audio on 5 Jul 2017, 12:11 am
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Members of the AC,
Many of you are familiar with Spatial Audio Lab, and we value your interest in learning more about our open-baffle speakers during the last four years. In order to help AC and be more active every day, we have applied for our own circle.
In 2010, Clayton Shaw founded Spatial Audio Lab in Utah. Since 1988, we have devoted our efforts to research in open baffle speaker design. Since production for open-baffle speakers began in 2013 and is now offered globally, the company has become the market leader in both their design and production. From $7,800 to $9,800 per pair, we currently produce 2 versions. Visit our website: www.spatialaudiolab.com for additional details.
Clayton Shaw
Spatial Audio Lab
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Congratulations on your own circle. I look forward to learning more about your company and your products.
Brett
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Welcome Clayton!
Happy owner of your M3TS speakers. :) :wave:
-dave
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Welcome Clayton!
Happy owner of your M3TS speakers. :) :wave:
Me too. :thumb:
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Congrats!
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I will be spending EVEN MORE time on the AC now :o. Also a Happy owner of the M3TS
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Welcome Clayton!
Great to have you on AC.
George
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Welcome Clayton!
Looking forward to receiving my X1s. :D
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Welcome Clayton, OB speakers are always interesting to listen.
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Welcome Clayton! :thumb:
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Welcome Clayton, glad you're here :thumb:
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Great to see you will have your own circle. Your designs are very intriguing. Can't wait to read more.
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Your designs are very intriguinG.
Yeah, how many manufacturers employ controlled directivity with point source in the context of OB? While almost everyone else continues to do what almost everyone else has done since time immemorial... Clayton Shaw does something different by thinking big and pushing the envelope in new ways.
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Yeah, how many manufacturers employ controlled directivity with point source in the context of OB? While almost everyone else continues to do what almost everyone else has done since time immemorial... Clayton Shaw does something different by thinking big and pushing the envelope in new ways.
We might not agree on movies but we do agree on CD :thumb:
Best,
Anand.
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We might not agree on movies but we do agree on CD :thumb:
If you were to adopt the same high standards that you have for your auditory pleasure and apply them to movies, chances are... well I think you get the picture. :lol: :thumb:
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Is it only for spatial audio speaker? Is there any recording devices for spatial audio ?
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Hi Clayton! Great to see you on the AC!
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You have my vote. nice product line with some very happy owners. Best of luck.
charles
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Welcome to Audiocircle, Clayton!
Just a heads up to everyone:
Spatial Audio, ANTIcables, and Vinnie Rossi are teaming up at RMAF 2017, Room 3018. This is a larger, "executive king studio" room, so we'll have the room space to exhibit with the X1's! :singing:
(https://www.audiofest.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/650x77.jpg)
Vinnie
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This makes me really wish I still lived in Kansas City so I could drive out to RMAF.
Congrats on the new circle!!!! Nice to have most of the pertinent threads in one location.
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just another very happy owner (M3 turbos) - and a Canuck to boot. Good to see the new circle and look forward to even more reading on AC.
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congrats, loving my M2 Turbos.
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I have had the M3 Turbo S's for about a year now and love them. They have shown me that you can get a much more "real life" sounding system for the money spent on these speakers vs shelling out huge bucks on a designer trying to deaden a cabinet so it can not be detected in the sound which always bothered me. Good to see this brand get their own circle
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I am honored to have a pair of Spatial's X1 speakers in my audio room. It was a pleasure getting to know Clayton Shaw in the process.
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Congrats Clayton!
I and my clients in Ukraine very love you products.
X1 in Kiev now! This is a big deal for our market!
Best,
Aleksandr.
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I am honored to have a pair of Spatial's X1 speakers in my audio room. It was a pleasure getting to know Clayton Shaw in the process.
Congratulations!
Would you mind posting on this thread http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=146217.0 as to how they sound, and what speakers did you use previously?
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I am honored to have a pair of Spatial's X1 speakers in my audio room. It was a pleasure getting to know Clayton Shaw in the process.
Hi Patrick
What is the rest of your set-up with the X1's and any chance of a review coming up? :thumb:
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Say dear Clayton - Happy to find your own AC space. This another success story. Please alert me when my white Trode Master get ready for shipment.
Manny
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It's great to hear such enthusiastic support for Spatial products. Can some of you comment on associated equipment e.g. amplification? Are these speakers power hungry, need help on the bottom end, etc. How many of you bought them without hearing them first? Thank you
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Abt 95 dB efficient - my 2A3 amp drives them. For real strong bass, more power helps - I have 2 subs I use. Currently using one of the new 1200AS Ice amps with billions of watts and they play SO LOUD without distortion - just what Marilyn Manson's music needs. With this amp subs just add a very little deep bass, but really aren't needed.
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I too am running Class D amps with the 3 Turbo S and have no need for a sub. Prior to the Class D mono amps I had an 8 watt SET and the bass was AWOL.
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Oh, I should mention that I was privileged to hear them at a friend's place in Kelowna and also at the Spatial dealer here in Canada.
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It's great to hear such enthusiastic support for Spatial products. Can some of you comment on associated equipment e.g. amplification? Are these speakers power hungry, need help on the bottom end, etc. How many of you bought them without hearing them first? Thank you
I purchased after hearing at a show (RMAF 2016) and use PP tube and Class D amplification. Both sound great with the Spatials. I'll be purchase a sealed sub at some point soon to augment the deepest part of the freq range but I haven't found them lacking at all.
They ARE a diff sound than dynamic box speakers or electrostatic ones which I've owned in the past. But it sounds more coherent overall in my ears.
-dave
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Welcome
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It's great to hear such enthusiastic support for Spatial products. Can some of you comment on associated equipment e.g. amplification? Are these speakers power hungry, need help on the bottom end, etc. How many of you bought them without hearing them first? Thank you
Powering my M4's with a Class D Audio SDS250. Bought without listening. Just a lot of reading. My room is 11X12X9 and is treated. It was an echo chamber when we moved in.
Tried some powered monitors. Added a Rythmik sub and sounded pretty good. Could never get the sub "just right".
Moved onto some Magnepan MMG's. Worked pretty good in here 30" from the front wall and me sitting about 6-7' away. They needed a sub. Same problem. I think I just wanted a speaker where I didn't need a sub.
Read a lot about open baffle speakers and how they work in small rooms. Was gonna buy some Caintuck speakers to see what all the fuss was about OBS. Then I read a review by John Darko describing the M4's as a good step up from the MMG's.
I found a smoking deal on a used pair of M4's and pulled the trigger and never looked back. Sold the sub a short while after.
When I first fired them up I couldn't believe how different the bass sounded. Still don't have words to describe other than realistic.
Hope this helps a month later.
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Hi Spatial....or Clayton. I’m a new member so forgive me. Anyhow, I’ve been following the evolution of Spatial speakers for some time and am VERY interested in the OB concept. This goes back to the days of
Dahlquist dq-10’s. The X-3’s could be the last set speaker’s I dive into. I’m not an audiophile but do want the whole package, which means HT is also important. Therefore, what can be recommended for possible ceiling speakers, sides, surrounds and subs to FILL a home with a Spatial X-3 system. Any thoughts are welcome.
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New M3 Sapphire owner and very happy with my decision to buy the M3 Sapphires.
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I come the days of the DQ 10 speakers, my 1st high-end speaker and one I still remember fondly, they were open baffle except for the sealed sub, and they were just so open sounding, based the design on the look of Quad ESL 57 speaker and Jon tried to get a cone speaker to have some the of the positive sound of the ESL so OB midrange on up. Later in this hobby, I purchased a pair of Quad 63 speakers that were totally rebuilt by Electrostatic Solutions, from the power supply up, and it was an OMG moment. I had that 10 years or so and was itching for a change and I could not find a speaker good enough to replace them and I listened to speakers up to 25K. I then came across Spatial Audio and did some research and then I found the New Record Day videos and some interest with Clayton. I spoke with Clayton and he was a straight stand-up guy, told me the upside of changing from Quads and some of the things the Quad did so well, but he thought I be more than happy with the Sapphires M3's than the X series for my room. Been 8 months and I am more than happy I made the change, I no longer miss the Quads, I enjoy what the M3's bring to the reproduction of music, snd keep in mind these are beating other brands that I heard from the $15,000-$25,000 range, and you know the names from the reviews in the audio magazines, the brands they review over and over. So at $5,000 my M3's are a stone-cold bargain. Let them burn-in in good and you will be rewarded with world-class sound, that is open, detailed and with the best bottom octaves reproduction, you will ever hear. Subs really are not needed, and I tried a pair in my system, and out they went, the purity of the M3's as stand-alone speakers is the way to go, and they can really go as low as you would need if the recording has it, rarely have I felt bass in my chest on test CD with bass tones that went down to 20Hz and at 25Hz I still had the bass in my room. Great company, great guy, and a dam good speaker. You can't go wrong.
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I guess this is where I introduce myself. I bought a pair of X5's last fall and love them. I am please to see how active this site is with Spatial owners. I think it will be useful going forward. Cheers.
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Hi
Any news on the new M4's arrival, cost etc etc. and more places where they can be heard, I am in Charlottesville VA
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Hi. I'm Klyph. I have two sets of Spatial speakers.
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Just introducing myself to the board. Hope to pull the trigger on the X5 very soon. My room is 20x15x8. That should be okay right or save up a little longer for the X3s?
Thanks and love all the information here. It’s been very helpful!
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Just introducing myself to the board. Hope to pull the trigger on the X5 very soon. My room is 20x15x8. That should be okay right or save up a little longer for the X3s?
My listening space is about that same size and my new X5's sound great. In fact you are in better shape as the 15 foot width will allow you more room between the side walls and your speakers than I have.
You will want to have the front wall be the 15 foot dimension otherwise once you pull the speakers out 3 feet you will be forced to have your listening position too close to the rear wall.
PS. Be sure to read all of the posts here about break-in. It is real :)
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Thanks for the advice! And Clayton made the same recommendation as well.
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I am also considering spatial audio but there are some questions in my mind :)
I love the idea of tweeters producing not only highs but also mid range in M3 Sapphire. It’s like Tekton Design speakers but instead of 7 tweeters acting like one mid range, M3 does it with one single tweeter without crossover. I think it will sound very smooth. But the more expensive model X3 series uses a AMT tweeter and a midrange woofer with crossover. Yes, maybe this tweeter is of higher quality and gives you better details in higher ranges but I am not sure I will get the smoothness of crossoverless design.
In addition, X3 uses one 15” woofer for lows with active amplification and this makes your gears to drive speakers easier. But…on the other hand, M3 Sapphire uses two 15” subwoofers. Passive but 2.
One last thing, M3 may have advantage in the off-axis positions due to not having AMT tweeters used in X3 but I am not sure.
My questions is, if I use a powerful amp like Hegel 390, can I get better results from M3 than X3?
Or maybe I will just order a pair of Tekton Design Double Impacts but I have questions about their built quality and customer service. And I wanna experience open baffle design.
Your help will be much appreciated because I don’t have any chance to listen them personally. Thank you in advance :)
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JuMu, Not sure anyone can tell you the best move. I think my Sapphires are one of the nicest speakers I've owned in 45 years in this hobby. They are what Clayton says they are, he is a good and honest man and was very helpful. Tektron speakers, I never heard of, but I could never live with their looks. Reviews are good, but here you get reviews from real owners, and if you want education take the time to read the posts. From setup to the burn-in time it's all here from folks who spent their own money on the speakers. One thing 100% of us would tell you, prepare for a long burn-in time, and don't judge them brand new or even a month old unless you really put so many hours on them. Fantastic speakers that give the impression there are performers in your room, they sound alive. They like power, and though they sound good with lower power there is always ease when you have more power due to headroom, and the midrange even becomes better. I used a 400-watt amp and now a 300-watt SS amp. I am sure a 60-100 watt tube amp would sing also.
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I've heard the Tektron speakers several times and they are, IMO, not on the same level as the current Spatial lineup.
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JuMu: I doubt you will get an agreement with the comparison you made. As an X-5 owner I can tell you the reason you won't. The Spatials are just that good, and an exceptional value. You owe it to yourself to hear the ones that fit your room.
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My questions is, if I use a powerful amp like Hegel 390, can I get better results from M3 than X3?
Or maybe I will just order a pair of Tekton Design Double Impacts but I have questions about their built quality and customer service. And I wanna experience open baffle design.
Your help will be much appreciated because I don’t have any chance to listen them personally. Thank you in advance :)
I can speak to the M3’s liking power. I’ve owned mine since 2019. Many will say they don’t need a lot of power and will sound amazing. I was a little concerned that a lower wattage power amp might not have the grunt with those passive woofers so I upgraded from my Octave V40se which was a wonderful sounding amp to begin with. I now have the V70 Class A which makes the midrange sing. IMO that is where the soundstage lives and for me this is my endgame system. So I do think the Hegel 390 will do great things for the M3’s. I agree with what’s said about the Tektons. Just not at all in the same league.
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Do you run the V70 in 25W or 50W mode with the Sapphires?
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Do you run the V70 in 25W or 50W mode with the Sapphires?
50W with the supplied KT120’s. I have experimented with 6550’s KT88’s some vintage tubes from RAM, can’t remember which and the KT150’s which a friend of mine uses and loves. I find the KT120’s at least in my setup are so smooth and uniform top to bottom.
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Thanks!
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Introduction - Good morning everyone, thinking about making the leap to open baffle speakers. I look forward to reading through the circle and posting a few questions.
Not all that sure about what to say here but below is my system.
NAD M10
Philharmonic Audio BMRs
SVS PB12-NSD
Just purchased a bunch of treatment, but have yet to install. All of it is just leaning up against the wall for now.
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welcome to forum!
Find Tyson's post with his X3s for sale at almost a give away price. You will save yourself much agony if you just buy these now and your search will be over. I can say that because I also have X3s. Mine are NOT for sale. :icon_lol:
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Introduction - Good morning everyone, thinking about making the leap to open baffle speakers. I look forward to reading through the circle and posting a few questions.
Not all that sure about what to say here but below is my system.
NAD M10
Philharmonic Audio BMRs
SVS PB12-NSD
Just purchased a bunch of treatment, but have yet to install. All of it is just leaning up against the wall for now.
The BMR's were my first set of speakers I purchased when I decided to get into 2 channel music several years ago. They are fantastic speakers especially for the money. I sold mine to buy the Dynaudio Special 40's and I preferred the sound of those over the BMR's. Thought I had found my perfect speaker until I had a business trip to Salt Lake City. While in town I arranged a demo of the M3 Sapphires at Clayton's place. Once I heard those I knew I needed an open baffle speaker. The sound was so open and natural, the bass was very good and everything just sounded right. Based on the size of my room Clayton recommended the M4 Sapphire would be a better fit so I bought those. Have had them now for slightly more than 1 year and still love them. Every time I make an upgrade to my system the M4's just sound better and better. I was running dual subs with my Special 40's, I sold them once I got the M4's. The bass they produce while not as strong as a subwoofer, it is so clean, tight and pure, it just sounds perfect. I have my right speaker about 2 feet from the wall and my left speaker is about 18 feet from the wall as my room is not a normal shape. The M4's don't seem to care. I would highly recommend one of the Spatial open baffle speakers, as long as you can pull them at least 2 feet out from the front wall all will be good.
Where are you located, maybe you can arrange for a demo with someone that has a set.
Good luck with your search!