AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Owner's Circles => Selah Audio Owners => Topic started by: Bryangsu on 26 Nov 2019, 03:13 am
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I wanted to post my feedback from my first DIY 2 channel adventure. I purchased an Essenza kit from Selah Audio back in March / April 2019, and I have waited until now to post my experience - since I have had some time to listen to the speakers.
Rick was very professional and great to work with...he was more than willing to jump in and answer any questions I had ( I only had a couple) and if I would have carefully read the documentation provided, I would have found the all of the answers with the documentation provided (sorry Rick).
For the last 10+ years I listened to a pair of Klipsch Rf62II, rarely utilizing my Klipsch rw10d subwoofer. For the vast majority of the time I used a Pioneer Elite VSX-91txh for the amp.
I moved to a Yamaha a-s2100 and a Cary Audio DMS-500 w/ the Klipsch rf62II for about a 6 months, then purchased the Essenza kit... So I have experienced the klipsch towers and the Essenza's on the same integrated amplifier. I am using no power conditioning, mediocre interconnects, and commodity speaker wire.
I am an amateur wood worker at best, the cabinets took me a couple of weeks...only because I had to some learning pains with the internal brace and front baffle. They could have been built much quicker by someone who pays attention to detail and plans things out ahead of time. I used a table saw, router, jasper jig, a couple of router bits, clamps, sand paper, and glue.
The room is a rectangle 14ftx17ftx9ft, no room treatment. Slab, with acoustic under lament on carpet tiles, drywall walls - so nothing fancy. The Essenza are more than enough for a room of this size, I believe.
The Essenza's are very detailed compared to the rf62's, I am hearing things in tracks that I have never heard before. I find myself pausing the music to see if I am hearing things coming from inside / outside the house (external to the track being played) to find lots of the tracks have sound I have not heard before - I think I am trying to say they are extremely detailed. The imaging is far superior, its often dead center, but other times it extends far left and right of the speakers. I recently built a pair of dual H frame open baffle subs, I have had some issues integrating the subs (no fault of the Essenza's, often times finding the Essenza's low end sounds better without the subs).
So long story short here... I have had an awesome experience with my first build, no regrets and Rick will be the first person I call on my second build.
I want to apologize ahead of time for the short, terribly written review... this is probably the second review I have ever written, but I wanted to share my overwhelming positive review with the Essenza's and Selah audio. If anyone has any questions let me know, I will try and provide as much info / detail as I can.
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That’s a nice review!
Pictures or it didn’t happen .;-)
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201394)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201395)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201396)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201397)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201398)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201399)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201400)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201401)
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201402)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201403)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201405)
of course this project gave me a great excuse to get some new tools for my shop.... Please not public humiliation- I have never built any real cabinets, i built some boxes for car subs... but that I have ever built. This was my reference build, I have a tendency to want to always upgrade. I am really thinking about the towers using the raal tweeters and some dedicated midwoofer / mid range.
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201406)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201407)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201408)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201409)
I have no plans to finish these cabinets, If I plan on building a new set and finishing the next cabinets. I dont normally stuff the Essenza's ports - but I am experimenting , and trying to get the subs integrated. I was very hesitant going with open baffles, I was afraid I wouldnt get the desired SPL- i was wrong - they sound excellent (they definitely sound different). They sound very defined. Most of my experience is in car stereo, I used mid range stuff (focal components, jlw7's, all good amps, caps, on and on). Bass was always muffled, really could not even tell in many cases an actual instrument was making the sound. With the open baffles subs, you can tell its an instrument - I really have not heard anything like it before. Again I was skeptical of the output, but they have more output than I would ever ask for - and then some.
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last thing, sorry for all the posts - the big wood box with the air filters - I used that as a room air filter when cutting the MDF. I also had a dust collector running as I cut the MDF, but that homemade room air filter was the most valuable tool I had during the build. Its a 1.25 HP motor on a centrifuge fan (similar to a squirrel cage) and it made all the difference in the world.
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Great pics of your cabinet build process.. interesting in your first post you say the essenza bass is better than the open baffle subs bass.. but in the last post say the open baffle subs sound incredible. I’m interested in trying some form of dipole in my next speaker, too.
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I am interested in this kit.
You may be too modest with regard to your cabinet skills. Was the anything that proved very, very difficult?
More importantly, your review speaks of high detail. I wasn't entirely sure how to take that. Revealing is one thing, and bright is another. So, let me ask this. Is there any problem with listener fatigue?
Thank you for the inspirstion.
Lee